A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business, it’s Power Talk Friday! Sara Lynn Brennan joins LuAnn to chat about faith or fear. Earlier this year, Sara wrote a blogpost titled, “Are You Operating Your Design Business Out of Faith or Fear?” and in the midst of the current pandemic, it seems like a great time to re-visit her reflections. Although her original intent had nothing to do with the Corona Virus, there are lessons in the article that are certainly timely and applicable to our current situation. Sara is an entrepreneur, CEO, and Principal Interior Designer at Sara Lynn Brennan Interiors. Sara has become the first and only full-service interior design firm in Waxhaw, North Carolina, who specializes in Transitional Designs, where she and her design-build team take spaces from Bare Bones to Beautiful by utilizing her exclusive, approachable, and stress-free design process, transforming and renovating homes from start to finish. Sara’s design work has been nationally published six times in the last year including publications such as Romantic Homes, Traditional Home, Window Fashion Vision, and Cottages and Bungalows, who recently offered her a role as a monthly columnist. She’s also been noticed as a rising star among colleagues in the design industry being invited as a guest on podcasts, as a panelist at High Point Market and as a host and speaker at local design events and shows. Show Highlights: LuAnn’s interview with Candy Scott in Episode 279 was the inspiration behind Sara’s blogpost, “Are You Operating Your Design Business Out of Faith or Fear?”. A lot of drama stems from fear, and this was Sara’s epiphany that even the design experts have the same doubts as everybody. Be prepared for problems, but having the right processes in place will give you confidence that you’ve covered all of your bases. Problems that might occur will not be because you weren’t following through. Drama in projects can stem from lack of communication, expectations, mistakes, personalities, etc. How you handle it is what makes all of the difference. Look for common ground where your clients feel heard and happy. If you’re working from home during this outbreak, explain upfront to your client that your kids are home and there may be some interruptions during a phone call. Conversely, if you’re talking with a client and their kids are home and interrupting, don’t roll your eyes or express frustration. Let them know it’s ok because you’re both in the situation together. Offer to reschedule if that is better for them. This quarantine is slowing us all down and giving us common ground, and opening up opportunities to have hard conversations. LuAnn addresses fear and the ways it can impact our business relationships. Sara offers ideas to make things happen during this downtime. Know your worth! Doing your best isn’t just what you showed up that day, doing. Doing your best is being prepared to do your best and doing extra. Gather your best resources, and spend your time sourcing so that you have the opportunity to provide your finest services. Showing up with a plan, some knowledge, and a background will separate you from the others who are just showing up. This is what Sara means when she says, “Showing up is not enough.” Are you going to be the person who deflects and doesn’t want to look bad? Or are you going to be the person that owns it because you can see where it went wrong and you’re going to make it better? Take this time to re-organize and streamline your business. The more informed the client is, the further along you can get with them, faster. Clarity is key and comes from preparation. Links: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! Sara’s Blog post onLuAnn’sBlog Power Talk Friday SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Event: 19hours Hosted by: Mydoma Studio Monday, April 6th - Thursday, April 9th This is a FREE VIRTUAL EVENT! Presentations Each Day at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm EST. It will be recorded for later viewing. This Is The Industry’s Answer to Covid-19 and Contains Much of the Content That Was Planned for HP Market. DON’T MISS the Solo Presentations by Some of the Industry’s Top Business Leaders and Panel Discussions with Some of the Industry’s Top Designers! To Sign Up, Go to 19hours Interior Design Standard IWCE 2020 Connect with Sara! Sara’s Website Sara’sInstagram Process Leads to Profits- Starts April 22nd! Get Your Early Bird Pricing Now! Sara’s Blog post onLuAnn’sBlog Thank You to These Podcast Sponsors: FREE Trial! A One-Stop Shop to Keep Everything Organized! My Doma Studio: A Well Designed Business Monogram - Work with Us Open Your Trade Account with ARTICLE.comHere! Article Previous Shows Mentioned: Nancy Ganzekaufer: 15, 159, 256, 389 Nicole Heymer: 125, 317, 466 Candy Scott: 227 Sandra Funk: 02, 145 Sara Lynn Brennan: 463, 514

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business! LuAnn brings you a very special conversation today, one that may hit very close to home for many of us; mental illness. Bearing that in mind, I must also say that this show was recorded months ago before the word COVID 19 was even legitimately on our radar. Even though the topic of mental illness can be sensitive, it’s important to talk about it. Whether mental illness affects us personally or affects one of our loved ones, you’re not going to want to miss this intimate talk. LuAnn’s guest is Leah M. Meyer Perez, and Leah will be sharing how she overcame her own internal struggles while trying to run a business. She wants to share her story and bring it out in the open so that we as a community don’t have to feel embarrassed about asking for help. She encourages an environment of support and care for each other. Leah M. Meyer Perez is the CEO/Principal Designer of Leah May Interior Design. Like so many of you, from an early age Leah was creative and had a natural talent for interiors. From her artistic flair in art class to tinkering in the garage with her Father, Leah’s path was destined for design. Leah has earned an extensive knowledge of fabrics and furniture by working for several boutique interior firms including a custom furniture workshop and drapery workroom. In 2014, taking a leap of faith, Leah opened her residential interior design firm and as you will learn today, Leah has had to overcome more than simply understanding marketing, bookkeeping, and pipeline building in order to be successful. If you are listening and you are struggling with serious thoughts of anxiety, depression, hopelessness, or isolation, there is no podcast for that. Please reach out, and have a friend help you find qualified help. You deserve to be happy and fulfilled and like Leah, with true professional therapy, it IS possible. Show Highlights: First: It’s Ok to have fears and insecurities. You just have to find the courage to talk to somebody about them and work through them. Leah shares how her symptoms of mental illness manifested in her personal and business lives. Understand self-sabotaging thoughts and behaviors by learning to be self-aware. Therapy can help you discover the heart of the issues. Learning that she was a negative person and realizing that she had to start being grateful was a turning point in Leah’s life. Appreciate all of the things you’re good at doing. Leah strives to push past the fear of talking about mental illness. What other people think of you does NOT define you. You must be open to help. You cannot change another person, but you can learn to change how you respond to a person. You never know what another person is going through. Share a high-five with someone who you think could use it, and if you’re inclined, tell someone you talk with today something nice so that they have a positive thought in their head when you part. Resources: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! The Power Talk Friday Tour LuAnn Live WCAA Exciting Windows IWCE-Vision My Doma Studio: A Well Designed Business Connect with Leah! Leah’s Website Leah’s Facebook Leah’s Instagram Thank You to This Podcast Sponsor: Open Your Trade Account with ARTICLE.com Here! Other shows mentioned to link to and tag in Social Media Alex Gourlay # 447 Wendy Glaister # 386 Desi Creswell # 475

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business, it’s Power Talk Friday! Peter Lang joins LuAnn on today’s show to discuss accounting that is specific to design firms. Peter is a CPA that works exclusively with interior designers, and he will be covering the nuances of the industry. He is also a co-author of LuAnn’s latest book, A Well-Designed Business: The Power Talk Friday Experts. If you’re a business owner and concerned about how this current COVID-19 pandemic will impact your taxes, you will not want to miss this episode! Peter Lang is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. He is the founder of The Designer CPA, a CPA firm that works exclusively with business owners in the design industry. He has worked in public accounting since graduating from Providence College in 2002. After working for several larger size firms in Boston and Rhode Island, Peter realized his true passion was to start a firm that specifically focused on designers. Peter currently resides in Rhode Island with his wife Carmen and their identical twin boys, William and Matthew. He enjoys running and golfing outside of work. Show Highlights: The IRS expects you to file your 2019 income tax return by April 15th, or apply for an extension. If you have a Federal or state tax payment that is due, they expect that by the April 15th deadline. Technically you are responsible for Q1 2020 estimated payments by April 15th, as well. HOWEVER, due to the pandemic, the IRS has reset all of the April 15th deadlines to July 15th for the 2019 filing year. This gives everyone an additional 90 days to get all of your information to them. The IRS has NOT changed the Q2 2020 estimated payments deadline of June 15th, so this WILL still be due. Peter addresses which deadline might be better to consider, and why; HSA’s, and sales tax. Peter and LuAnn discuss the stimulus package, how much we might expect to receive, and when it will be sent. What you need to know if you’re receiving unemployment compensation and receive a stimulus payment. Your business may be eligible for relief in the form of a relaxed-rules small business loan. Listen for details! Payroll tax credits, deferments, and managing your cash flow. Things you can do now to be ready in the event another disaster strikes: Get your books in order. Make sure you understand your numbers. Set aside cash for quarterly tax payments. Don’t mingle sales tax collected from customers with your operating cash. Build a reserve of three months fixed operating expenses in a savings account. LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Event: 19hours Hosted by: Mydoma Studio Monday, April 6th - Thursday, April 9th This is a FREE VIRTUAL EVENT! Presentations Each Day at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm EST. It will be recorded for later viewing. This Is The Industry’s Answer to Covid-19 and Contains Much of the Content That Was Planned for HP Market. DON’T MISS the Solo Presentations by Some of the Industry’s Top Business Leaders and Panel Discussions with Some of the Industry’s Top Designers! To Sign Up, Go to 19hours Connect with Peter! Peter’s Website Book Mentioned: A Well-Designed Business: The Power Talk Friday Experts by LuAnn Nigara & Friends Thank You to These Podcast Sponsors: Open Your Trade Account with ARTICLE.comHere! Article FREE Trial! A One-Stop Shop to Keep Everything Organized! My Doma studio: A Well Designed Business Kravet Connect with Your Local Kirsch Distributor Now! Kirsch Sponsors You’ll Be Learning More About in the Future: Jaipur Monogram Shows Mentioned: Michele Williams - Certified Profit First Coach #180 Peter Lang previous episodes: #349, #464 #519 finances at Window Works

Welcome to this episode of A Well-Designed Business! Gabriela Gargano joins LuAnn in this episode to caution us as entrepreneurs about being careful not to apply reasons and rationale to decisions that we are facing because we are reluctant to take the risk. Gaby also shares some very specific strategies that she is employing as the CEO of her design firm in light of the Corona Virus, which you will likely find very smart and useful! You are going to love these ideas! After graduating from college with degrees in Art History, Hispanic Studies, and Business Economics, Gaby spent more than a decade at Goldman Sachs, as a sales trader and relationship manager. She simultaneously grew her passion for interior design through real estate investing, renovation, and staging of her properties in Manhattan. In 2016, she decided to leave finance and establish Grisoro Designs, a full-service interior design firm located in New York City. Gaby’s style blends clean lines with rich textures and eclectic pieces, referencing art, and vintage design. The team's process is anchored in a deep understanding of each client's design goals, functional needs, and lifestyle. By implementing a transparent process, clear communication, and active project and budget management, they can provide a seamless experience, resulting in a beautiful and functional space that truly feels like home. Grisoro Designs has been featured in Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, Domino, and several other publications. Services offered include interior design, full-scale renovations, project management, budget management, art curation, and real estate advisory. SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Event: 19hours Hosted by: Mydoma Studio Monday, April 6th - Thursday, April 9th This is a FREE VIRTUAL EVENT! Presentations Each Day at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm EST. It will be recorded for later viewing. This Is The Industry’s Answer to Covid-19 and Contains Much of the Content That Was Planned for HP Market. DON’T MISS the Solo Presentations by Some of the Industry’s Top Business Leaders and Panel Discussions with Some of the Industry’s Top Designers! To Sign Up, Go to 19 Hours Show Highlights: Gaby was at Goldman Sachs during the 2008 recession. Decide what you want your business to look like. The indicators that Gaby used to evaluate when it was time to grow: Assessing her past, current, and projected pipeline. She made sure that she was attracting the type of clients that will take her into the future. She recognized that she was so fatigued that she was jeopardizing her ability to deliver her creative best to her clients. She realized that she and the employees she had on board were consistently being pushed to their limits, and this was leaving a lot of room for errors. Working from home is fine, but getting space brings an elevated sense in having your own studio. You’re able to have your full-time employees there, bring on an intern, and have your vendors and clients meet you there. Remember that this Covid-19 crisis isn’t forever. Take this time to learn to work better remotely. Find more ways to be collaborative and keep the lines of communication open. As entrepreneurs, we have to figure out a way to work through this. Focus on business planning in greater detail, such as business expenses, hurdles, goals, targets, etc. Most importantly, do not delay in responding and looking at what changes you need to make in order to protect your cash flow. Make rational, unemotional decisions when you are calm. Make decisions based on thoughtful evaluation with your CFO or whoever helps you with your finances in your business. Commit to taking the actions that you make a decision on. This planning and effort will help to provide you with a peace of mind, which is very important subconsciously for your team. When you’re calm and positive, your team will feel that. Don’t overreact. But don’t NOT act! LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! Connect with Gaby! Design Firm: Grisoro Designs Principal: Gabriela Gargano Gaby’s Instagram Gaby’s Website Do YOU Need Help with Your Past, Current, or Projected Pipeline? Michele Williams: Scarlet Thread Consulting Kim Merlitti: KMM Consulting Thank You to These Podcast Sponsors: Kravet For 10% off any Kravet Wallpaper, Fabric, or Trim Enter at Checkout This Promo Code: awdb10 Kirsch Connect with Your Local Kirsch Distributor Now! Mentioned Episodes #519

Welcome to this episode of A Well-Designed Business, it’s Power Talk Friday! LuAnn chats with Sandra Funk about Sandra’s amazing new program for the interior design community. Her program is called “The Interior Design Standard”. Just wait until you hear about it, you’re going to LOVE this! Sandra Funk is the CEO and Principal Designer of House of Funk, a greater New York area design firm working wherever great clients need us. This is interior design with a soul and a sense of place; reflecting your desires, personality, and style. House of Funk creates thoughtful homes with an emphasis on clean lines and soulful touches, all rooted in tradition. Sandra is an Accredited Professional for the Sustainable Furnishings Council. Sandra’s award-winning design work has been featured in publications such as Elle Decor, House Beautiful, The Huffington Post, Apartment Therapy, Aspire Design & Home, and Luxe Interiors + Design. With almost two decades in the interior design industry, Sandra is launching the Interior Design Standard in the spring of 2020 – a template for designers to utilize her streamlined processes and business structure to bring joy and profit to their own design business. Show Highlights: Sandra’s program is targeted towards interior designers to guide them on the path of business success. The Interior Design Standard is a program comprised of Sandra’s templates, systems, and processes, delivered in a digital format to help designers run a more efficient, joy-filled, and profitable business. The program includes: Sandra’s design fee calculator - confidently calculate flat design fees in moments. House of Funk’s design agreement, that both clients and designers love. The exact process that each interior design project follows, from the first potential client contact to pitching the photos to press. Four designers beta-tested the program for three months and gave the program rave reviews. LuAnn and Sandra discuss the lessons learned from beta-testing. There’s a lack of standards in the industry. Depending on your situation, the time of implementation will vary but is expected to take approximately 3 months. Sandra asks: Do you want to spend another year wondering if you should edit your terms, update your fees, pass along your trade discount or make a profit on furnishings, or manage client expectations better? The Interior Design Standard purchase is a lifetime membership and 100% guaranteed, but you have to fully implement from start to finish. Sandra’s program costs $3,989, plus any applicable tax. This program streamlines your methods of business management and execution! Sandra wants to see the industry become more professional and profitable. The more profitable the designer the better work you can all do as an industry, and the better high-quality customer service you can offer to your clients. Resources: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! Connect with Sandra! House Of Funk Sandra Funk is a game changer for our industry. In April, she’s launching the Interior Design Standard - a digital program that covers everything you need for running an efficient and joyful business. Click here to take her FREE Demo Module to get a taste of what’s to come: Interior Design Standard April 8th: Registration opens Note: If designers register before April 22nd, they receive VIP access which grants them 3 group Zoom calls with Sandra. April 22nd: VIP Access closes and general enrollment begins May 5th: Enrollment closes at 11:59 PM May 6th: Module 1 is released and the program begins FREE Trial! A One-Stop Shop to Keep Everything Organized! My Doma Studio: A Well Designed Business Podcast Sponsor: Article Open Your Trade Account with ARTICLE.com Here!

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business! LuAnn has been considering adding a Wednesday show answering straight-up questions that you ask her via email and SM, and with everything happening in the world right now, she thought this was the perfect time to debut “What Would Lu Do?” On today’s episode, she will be discussing doing business through a crisis. In the 40 years, she’s been in business, she has had to weather all kinds of crises, such as recessions, acts of terrorism, and viral pandemic scares. Listen in to learn how you can be smart, strategic, and patient to help you get your business to the other side of this! Be sure to join her next Wednesday as she shares some additional tips to help you through this difficult time. Show Highlights: This is critical: 1) Don’t overreact. 2) Don’t NOT act. Cash flow is KING. Everything in your business will depend on your cash flow. The first-level action plan: Focus on sales. Monitor cash flow and keep your vendors paid. Review all money owed to you and collect any outstanding balances. Go through your expenses with a fine-toothed comb. Owner’s pay cuts as loans to the company. Other ideas for consideration: Consider working remotely. Work on projects that you have been ignoring, especially if they generate revenue. Keep a routine. Find your mentors, your peers, set up phone calls, zoom meetings, brainstorm ideas on how to stay productive, how to maintain your clients and how to build your pipeline for when this is a bad nightmare for all of us down the road. LuAnn’s favorite tip from an emergency virtual meeting with her colleagues at Exciting Windows is from Steve Wishnow, who said, “Get Smart - Get Market Share.” He urged the allocation of money to marketing during this time and to not make the mistake of curbing this expense. Don’t go into debt, do everything with common sense. But now is the time to let people know you are here, you will be here and you can be depended on. Find a way to stay positive through this! Links: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! The Power Talk Friday Tour LuAnn Live WCAA Exciting Windows IWCE Vision Carla Aston Tips for Building Future Success When Your Interior Design Business is Slow Episode Mentioned: episode #242 Carla Aston

Welcome to A Well Designed Business! It’s WTF, Window Treatment Friday! In today’s episode, LuAnn and her friend and co-host of WTF, Vita (Vitalia) Vygovska, cover effective communication between the interior designer and the workroom to ensure a successful project. One of the private Facebook groups that Vita belongs to is the “Soft Furnishings & Upholstery” group. Prior to this show, she posted a query asking for their stories on the topic of communication, both good and bad, that members’ workrooms have had with their designers. She received some really good feedback on what worked and what didn’t work, and she and LuAnn will be sharing their collective wisdom with you today. Listen in to take advantage of what others have learned from their experiences, and remember the most important thing of all: communication is key with everything! Vitalia Vygovska (Vita for short!), CWFP, MBA, is an award-winning window treatment specialist, author, speaker, mom, wife, and a ballroom dance enthusiast. Her company, Vitalia, Inc, provides all-encompassing concierge-level, tech-driven fabrication, measurement, installation, and project management services exclusively for interior designers. Show Highlights: Vita explains the difference between the detailed estimate and the top-line budget estimate and discusses the proper information that is required from the designer. The right questions contribute to a successful site visit to take measurements and discuss project specifics. It is important for the designer to be present at this visit. If you’re a designer or a workroom new to window treatments, make sure meetings happen when all of the important parties are there. Considerations when choosing types of fabric. You must take ownership and read the detailed estimate, question it, and correct if needed. Some workrooms require the designer to sign it. Vita shares her recommendations for managing outstanding issues on the detailed proposal. LuAnn offers further suggestions on ironing out all the details. Additional communication tips: Be clear on who is responsible for what. Be clear on terms. Use only one way of communicating, preferably email. Be sure to follow up a verbal conversation with a summary email. Thank your workroom! And keep them in the loop. Resources: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! The Power Talk Friday Tour LuAnn Live WCAA Exciting Windows IWCE Vision My Doma Studio: A Well Designed Business Vitalia Inc. Grand Opening! All are invited to join us for Vita's grand opening! June 16th, 4-7pm LuAnn is excited to be there and all are invited to join! RSVP at Vitalia Inc Events To learn more about working with Vita and Vitalia Inc: Vitalia Inc To learn more & register for Vita's course: Profit With Window Treatments Thank You to This Podcast Sponsor: Open Your Trade Account with ARTICLE.com Here! Mentioned Shows: Links to previous WTF episodes #462, #471 Sandra Funk #02, 145

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business! LuAnn’s guest today is Melissa Lindsay, Co-Owner of Pimlico Interiors, located in Westport, CT. She will be sharing some of the methods and tactics that she and her partner, Jill Kakaletris, use when dealing with difficult conversations and difficult clients. As #seasoned designers, Melissa and Jill have had their share of difficult conversations with clients and together they have developed a personal philosophy for handling these as well as some actual tips to help you navigate them, too. Whether you are crafting an email or having a hard person-to-person discussion, there are some strategies here that you can most certainly find useful! Melissa brings 20 years of luxury residential design experience and award-winning interiors to the firm. Named at home Magazine’s A-list award winner multiple years over, she has been lauded by industry professionals from Celerie Kemble to Bunny Williams. Show Highlights: Be truthful with kindness and grace! Listen more than talk. This is the only way to truly know what the obstacle is for the client. And if you are reading an email from a client--- read it closely and consider only what it says; don’t make up stuff in your head. Keep to your talking points and be clear and focused. Keep the conversation respectful and unemotional. Know your value and be confident in it. Have a value statement prepared that you are ready to say when you are in a situation that is getting tricky. Keep re-stating your points, rephrasing if necessary, and don’t get dragged into details that are irrelevant. This distracts from the solution. Keep a cache of pre-written emails that you can go to in the tough moments. You can tweak as needed for the present client. This helps in both diffusing your emotion of the current situation as well as saving not having to start from scratch over and over. Stop talking once you have made your points. By continuing to talk it opens the conversation to points that are not core to the current conflict. Resources: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! The Power Talk Friday Tour LuAnn Live Connect with Melissa! Pimlico Interiors Interior Design Standard East End Interiors Trade Mydoma Studio: Well Designed Business Kirsch Stamford Waterside Design District March 19this the 4th birthday party for this podcast! Thanks to Kravet Inc for hosting this. Please join us 5:30- 7:30 pm at the Kravet Work Space Showroom at 200 Lexington Ave NYC. You can find the RSVP on EventBrite as well as on the website under the Events Tab. March 21stto 24th Exciting Windows and IWCE / March 25th to the 27th Teaching the Professional Window Coverings 7 Step Process, which is open to the public. Go to Exciting Windows. At the IWCE, Luann will be doing Closing the Sale Begins with Hello, as well as moderating some panels on Profitability with the Vin Man and Michele Williams. Next, LuAnn has a panel with Sara Brennan on Packaging your Process and Working with Window Treatment Professionals with Sara Brennan and Vita. Please visit IWCE-Vision. April 2nd, Thursday, East End Interiors is celebrating 30 years in business this year and they have invited LuAnn to speak at their showroom in Long Island NY. If you were at LuAnn Live last year, then you know Sal and Enza and you already know what a fantastic family business they run. If you are in the NY Metro area, especially LI, you must make the time to join us so you can see everything they have to help you complete all of your design projects. They are a strictly to the trade showroom featuring furniture, lighting, accessory and more. LuAnn is also delighted to share that they are the Exclusive VIP Experience Sponsor for LuAnn Nigara Live 2020. High Point Market in April. It all starts with LuAnn’s PTF Tour on Friday, April 24th, 8am to 11:00 pm. Yup, all day, this event is jam-packed, loaded-to-the-gills, with eye-opening A-ha’s and advice specific to your business. LuAnn brings you 3 of her PTF Experts and one of them is Sandra Funk, the CEO of HOF. Sandra will be on an upcoming PTF where you will learn how she truly runs the back end of her business. And then, get to spend the whole day picking her brain? Uhmmm, the price of admission is worth it right there, no question. During the next few days at HP, LuAnn will have several presentations and panels. Saturday, April 25th, she’ll moderate a panel at the showroom of the newest sponsor to join the show, Jaipur, which will be co-hosted by Revelwoods and the Interior Design Society. They will be talking about the Design-Build Process and how to navigate the big-ticket projects. On Sunday, April 26th, LuAnn will be in the HP Theater at 12:00 noon for a very special one-on-one conversation with a very special friend, designer, and all around outstanding human being…not sure if ASID wants the proverbial beans spilled yet…so just put LuAnn on your dance card! Here’s a hint: If you were at LuAnn Live, yo

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business. It’s Power Talk Friday! On today’s show, Jude Charles joins LuAnn for a chat about videos, and how important they are to our websites. He is here to explain that compelling video is achieved through storytelling, and how we can’t have video just for video’s sake. It must be compelling and it must do the heavy lifting of attracting our ideal client to us. Jude is talented and clearly passionate about helping business owners tap into their unique value by creating the videos that help your clients feel like they already know you.Don’t miss this insightful and inspiring episode! Jude Charles is a story-driven filmmaker, brand strategist & speaker. For over 13 years, he has been producing documentaries & videos for purpose-driven entrepreneurs. He lives and breathes YOUR brand. He digs deep to find the compelling stories that no one else knows & then leverages those stories to scale your business. Show Highlights: Jude shares how storytelling is pivotal to captivating video. The “why” creates the thread for your story. It’s essential to “cut out the fat” of a 3-minute video to focus on the one core story. A great storyteller is also a great editor. LuAnn draws an interesting parallel between filmmaking and design. The Road Mapping Session: Jude explains his strategy when working with a client. Hearing something said a thousand times is not as convincing as seeing it once for yourself. Clients are searching for silver but are sitting with gold. The gold is the content that they’ve already created, but haven’t yet figured out a way to re-purpose. Jude relates some success stories for a closer look at the process and the results. You are invited to check out some of the work Jude has done on his Website. Resources: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! The Power Talk Friday Tour LuAnn Live Check Out LuAnn’s Second Book! A Well-Designed Business - The Power Talk Friday Experts Window Coveringsu Connect with Jude! Jude’s Website Thank You to This Podcast Sponsor: Kravet Other guests mentioned for Shownotes and to tag in SM: Marie Flanigan #89 Pulp Design Studios #176 Arianne Bellezaire # 30 Fred Berns #174 Claire Jefford #237 Nicole Heymer #125

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business! In this episode, LuAnn chats with Jaclyn Lankiewicz, the woman behind the Instagram handle, Jaclynmari_. She is the principle of Jaclyn Marie Interiors based in Long Island, NY. Her journey into interior design, like many, has not been a direct line. Basically, Jaclyn created an Instagram page that was getting so much attention that it prompted person after person to ask her if she would design their space. As you will hear today, her response was, “I finally said to myself, ok, let me do this”. Jaclyn created an Instagram that has created a design business, and since you already have a design business and want to create more clients through Instagram, perhaps you’ll find her tips to be very helpful. Listen in to see what we can learn about how to attract clients through Instagram! Show Highlights: Keep your feed neutral, bright, and uncluttered. Edit your pictures properly, paying close attention to wood tones. Be strategic about what and where you’re posting. Keep an eye on your nine squares. A picture of herself, a zoomed-in picture of styling, and a larger picture, such as a whole living room or whole kitchen is another tactic that Jaclyn likes to use. Sharing a little of her personal life through Instagram helps people feel connected to her. Another tip that Jaclyn offers is tagging retail vendors because they re-post a lot. Jaclyn likes to share designers on her story (but not on her feed), and details the reasoning behind this. Answering every message and comment from followers is a great way of engaging with them and inspiring trust. How to identify someone whose work you’d like to share, and how to reach out. Understanding your “why” and saying no to those you don’t wish to collaborate with. Posting new content every day shows your followers that you’re reliable. Jaclyn mentions apps that she finds helpful: Videoshop, Unfold, rewardStyle, VSCO, Snapseed, Retouch, and Planoly. Resources: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! The Power Talk Friday Tour LuAnn Live Connect with Jaclyn! Jaclyn’s Website Jaclyn’shouzz Jaclyn’s Instagram Wingnut Social East End Interiors Trade Thank You to These Podcast Sponsors: Connect with Your Local Kirsch Distributor Now! Kirsch Open Your Trade Account with ARTICLE.com Here! Article Other guests mentioned from previous episodes: Sara Lynn Brennan #’s: 463, 514 Darla Powell #’s: 203, 330 Kim Merlitti #’s: 361, 442 Sandra Funk #’s: 2, 145

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business! In this episode, LuAnn recounts the way that Sara Lynn Brennan, from Sara Lynn Brennan Interiors, went from being a stranger to her, to someone she treasures as a friend, all in less than two years. As an entrepreneur, Sara stands out as one of the most unusual LuAnn has met during her entire business career and her podcast journey. You may have noticed lots of collaboration with Sara over the last few months, and wondered why. There’s a lesson to be learned here, and LuAnn is eager to share it with you! It has to do with investing in your success. One of the ways that LuAnn noticed Sara investing in her success was that she steps outside the box by working on things that may have been intimidating or scary. Another way is that Sara has put in the blood, sweat, and tears. A third way that Sara has brought her business to a place of success so quickly is that she invested her dollar bills. When she made money, she evaluated it, and invested money back into her business. Listen in today to find out what Sara has to share concerning success! Sara is an entrepreneur, CEO, and Principal Interior Designer at Sara Lynn Brennan Interiors. Sara has become the first and only full-service interior design firm in Waxhaw, North Carolina, who specializes in Transitional Designs, where she and her design-build team take spaces from Bare Bones to Beautiful by utilizing her exclusive, approachable, and stress-free design process, transforming and renovating homes from start to finish. Sara’s design work has been nationally published six times in the last year including publications such as Romantic Homes, Traditional Home, Window Fashion Vision, and Cottages and Bungalows, who recently offered her a role as a monthly columnist. She’s also been noticed as a rising star among colleagues in the design industry being invited as a guest on podcasts, as a panelist at High Point Market and as a host and speaker at local design events and shows. Show Highlights: Sara shares how listening to LuAnn’s podcast helped her learn to run her business. Aligning yourself with the people you love and respect and want to be like is pivotal in becoming successful, because you are like the five people you spend the most time with. Understanding the value that you bring to the table inspires confidence. It all comes down to what you planned and what you didn’t plan for, and the expectations that you set. You can look back to see where things went wrong. Sara relates her favorite saying and what it means: “The package is the promise of the process.” Sara takes her own discovery calls because she wants to be the first person a client talks to about her process. Whoever is in this with you - a business partner, a coach - can’t stroke your ego; they have to give you the insights and pushback you need. Hard times in life can teach us the greatest lessons. Understanding yourself as a person will help you to find your passion. This sometimes takes therapy or soul-searching. Learn to “edit” your space and business to create a balance that is sustainable. FYI, LuAnn and Sara will be in Charlotte at the IWCE in March! LuAnn details all the other shows that she and Sara will be showing up at in the coming months. Resources: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! Power Talk Friday LuAnn Live The Power Talk Friday Tour Interior Design Standard IWCE Vision Connect with Sara! Sara’s Website Sara’s Instagram Process Leads to Profit! Big Thanks to ThisPodcast Sponsor: My Doma Studio Book Mentioned: Rocket Fuel by Gino Wickman Other shows mentioned: Michele Williams: 137, 180, 395, 424 Nancy Ganzekaufer: 15, 159, 256, 389 Nicole Heymer: 466, 317, 125 Wendy Woloshchuk: 316 Sandra Funk: 02, 145 Sara Lynn Brennan: 463

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business! On this episode, LuAnn sits down for a chat with Denise Wenacur, the principle of DW Design & Décor in Croton on the Hudson, which is a beautiful community just outside of NYC. Design-build is the hot topic of the day, and you’ll learn the importance of having an interior designer as the point person for the client between the architect, the builder and themselves. She discusses the ways having an interior designer on their team from the outset truly benefits the process and the result of the project. If that wasn’t enough, Denise will share tips for connecting with people who can introduce you to the type of projects you are looking for. Tune in to this engaging and informative conversation! Show Highlights: Denise recounts why and how she changed her business model to include the construction part. She is always the first point of contact as the interior designer. She rounds out each team with an architect, contractor, and whichever trades need to be added, as well. Each team member has their unique perspective and experience that they bring to the job, all working together for the good of the client and a perfect outcome. Making a 3D version of the architect’s plans can assist in both the design and the build in amazing ways. Denise has a video on her website explaining the pros and cons and importance of having a designer involved at the beginning of construction. One big successful project will generate referrals. Sharing on social media tips and ways that your services have made a positive impact will further help you to get noticed. Denise also holds a Construction Manager certificate from Pace University. This helps build confidence when she’s working with the rest of the team. Communication is everything, and it’s all about the client. Denise feels like she’s doing a good job when she gets new clients from her referral partners. Denise shares some ideas on how to meet architects and builders in the area. It’s important to create the relationship first. A CFO surprise! When you know your numbers, it instills confidence and that comes across to your clients. Potential clients will know if you know what you’re doing. Resources: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! Power Talk Friday LuAnn Live Connect with Denise! Denise’s Website Denise’s Facebook Denise’s Instagram Denise SINGS!The 1-4-5's YouTube Channel Podcast Sponsor: Article Open Your Trade Account with ARTICLE.com Here! Other episodes mentioned: #380 Circle Design, John and Theresa Dorlini #361, #442, Kimberly Merlitti #441 4Pt Design Build, Laura and Cliff Muller #181 H2 Design Build, Angela Rasmussen #202 Enoch Sears #292 Jana Phipps

Welcome to A Well Designed Business! It’s WTF, Window Treatment Friday! It’s been a while since LuAnn has had a window treatment episode, so she’s super-excited to have her co-host of WTF, Vita (Vitalia) Vygovska back on the show. Hardware is the subject of today’s show, and if talking about ripple folds, pinch pleats, stationary rods, rod pockets, and rods with c-rings make your heart beat a little faster, then you’ve found your people! Drapery rods can be a super-complicated thing, but LuAnn and Vita have a way of making this a fun conversation. Join them in this educational and insightful journey into the world of window treatment hardware. Vitalia Vygovska (Vita for short), CWFP, MBA, is an award-winning window treatment specialist, author, speaker, mom, wife, and a ballroom dance enthusiast. Her company, Vitalia, Inc, provides all-encompassing concierge-level, tech-driven fabrication, measurement, installation, and project management services exclusively for interior designers. Show Highlights: The more knowledge you have on hardware enables you to sell more window treatments. There are four main components to drapery hardware: the rod, the finials, the brackets, and the rings. The types of rod (or pole) is a basic traverse rod, a decorative traverse rod, and a pole that doesn’t move. Vita explains more about each rod and how it functions with drapery. LuAnn and Vita sing the praises of Kirsch and its Architrac Ripplefold track. Motorized draperies? Yes, it’s a thing! Provide your client with ALL of the options, and let them decide what they want. LuAnn and Vita address drapery issues that designers run into. How to counter a client who asks for a lower price. Drapery hardware can add a lot of profit to a job, but it is its own beast in the world of window treatment professionals. Distributors are there to help you. Familiarize yourself with Kirsch’s website and other drapery hardware websites. Window treatments are a great way to make your company more profitable. Check out LuAnn’s Live Events! She would love to meet you! Resources: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! Kravet To learn more & register for Vita's course: Profit With Window Treatments To learn more about working with Vita and Vitalia Inc To learn more about working with Window Works To receive a free subscription to Window Fashion Vision Magazine To attend the IWCE where both LuAnn and Vita will be presenting: IWCE To learn about the WCAA (Window Coverings Association of America) To learn about Exciting Windows Podcast Sponsor: Kirsch Connect with Your Local Kirsch Distributor Now!

Welcome to this episode of Power Talk Friday! Join LuAnn and her guest, Victoria Sanchez, in this thought-provoking conversation about changing things up in the way we educate interior designers. Her concern is if we don’t start to make changes in the design curriculum, then we, as an industry, are at risk. At one time, Victoria served as in interior design professor at Marymount University and this is where the conversation begins today. As LuAnn will tell you, this is a totally new idea to her and many of us, and sometimes you don’t know what you don’t know! Just wait until you hear what Victoria proposes! Victoria Sanchez, one of America’s premier design professionals, has been creating one-of-a-kind interiors for hundreds of prominent clients over the past three decades. Dubbed a home décor “style maker” by Luxe magazine, Victoria is an award-winning designer who offers services ranging from project management and space planning to kitchen and bath design and furniture selection. She and her team are backed by the region’s leading contractors, painters, architects, kitchen and bath pros, flooring specialists, audio-visual experts, and other professionals. Victoria, whose work has appeared in publications nationwide, is known for her extraordinary customer service, fee integrity and ability to help clients get the highest return on their design investment. She has designed multiple homes for the same clients and has worked with companies to design the interiors of apartment buildings, boutique hotels, and law offices. Victoria spent the majority of her career in Alexandria, Virginia, providing design services to Fortune 500 executives, lobbyists, military generals, doctors, lawyers, investment specialists and other professionals throughout the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area and along the east coast. While there, she also ran her ‘Victoria at Home’ shop, the area’s leading source of elegant home furnishings and accessories. Her collection of the finest upholstery, furniture, art, lighting, and pillows was carefully and proudly curated from an international network of vendors and suppliers. Now based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Victoria is keeping busy in ways she had never imagined. From charitable design work to the restoration of heritage buildings, the depth and breadth of her work have expanded while her style becomes more and more influenced by the new colors and nature that surround her. She continues to travel back to the East Coast on a regular basis, taking on projects across the country. Victoria also speaks at design industry events across the United States. She is currently active in the American Society of Interior Designers and holds Bachelor of Arts and Masters degrees in Interior Design from Marymount University. She also previously served as an interior design professor and was a board member of the Washington, D.C. chapter of the International Furnishings and Design Association. Show Highlights: The internet and all the design centers being opened to retail now both present concern to interior designers, because consumers now have the same access as designers. A bigger cause for concern is that we are not producing business-minded interior designers when they graduate from their programs. The top ten schools in the country have the same curriculum due to certification requirements. Victoria explains that colleges are trying to pack far too much information into a 4-year program. Students must learn residential design, commercial design, sustainability, and technical presentation skills, in addition to the general education classes. The solution offered by Victoria is to take the programs, pull them apart, and offer three separate interior design programs: residential, commercial, and technical presentation. This would allow schools to offer more courses, such as business law, accounting, marketing, and professional practices. We are moving forward in our profession when we can offer a student the opportunity to be a designer with a business brain. Interior design is very tactile; therefore, a designer misses the basics when rushing through courses and doing work digitally. It’s not that industry leaders are apathetic to change, but they are tasked with the traditional models of teaching the student all of the aspects of interior design. Changing the curriculum to product business-minded interior designers represents a challenge to CIDA (Council for Interior Design Accreditation). LuAnn and Victoria discuss ideas for implementation. LuAnn points out that those running the most successful interior design firms come with experience or training in running a business. It’s a business first, and a design firm second. The younger generation of designers understand that they need business skills, and are currently turning to podcasts to learn what schools aren’t teaching them. Resources: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! Connect with

Welcome to this episode of Power Talk Friday! Today, LuAnn shares her findings on coaching a diverse group of entrepreneurs. As it turns out, they have several tangible things in common that she was so impressed by that she decided to dedicate a podcast to complimenting these special people and laying out for you what she has discovered in their time together. As she relates, this has been an ‘A-ha!’ moment for her, and she hopes it will be for her listeners, as well. If you don’t already see yourself in these descriptions, perhaps it’s time that you do something to work toward them. Additionally, LuAnn brings you exciting news of her upcoming LIVE events that she will be attending spring and summer, and invites you to join her because she LOVES meeting you in person! Show Highlights: The 3 Traits of Smart Business Owners: They come to every session with a truly open mind. They listen, ask great questions, and take action on ideas that are new to them and that sometimes even make them a bit nervous. They understand the importance of having a coach because it is an investment in their business. A coach can help you grow beyond what you imagine for yourself and shorten the learning curves. They have hope. Hope for themselves, hope for their business, and hope for the industry. They seek out new ideas and new ways to make a profit, to succeed and service a client where the client needs it the most. Companion questions to ask yourself: Are you open to taking advice? Even advice that you think might not work for you? If you are the sum of the 5 people you spend the most time what, how does that make you look? What does your crew look like? Do you create opportunities through mentoring, coaching, and eduction that increase your value and your business acumen? Do you believe in yourself? Do you know your value and how you enrich other peoples’ lives? Do you take your talent and your abilities serious enough to invest in them? March 19this the 4th birthday party for this podcast! Thanks to Kravet Inc. and 200 Lex for hosting this. Please join us 5:30- 7:30 pm at the Kravet Work Space Showroom at 200 Lexington Ave NYC. You can find the RSVP on EventBrite as well as on the website under the events tab. March 21stto 24th Exciting Windows and IWCE / March 25th to the 27th Teaching the Professional Window Coverings 7 Step Process, which is open to the public. Go to Exciting Windows. At the IWCE, Luann will be doing Closing the Sale Begins with Hello, as well as moderating some panels on Profitability with the Vin Man and Michele Williams. Next, LuAnn has a panel with Sara Brennan on Packaging your Process and Working with Window Treatment Professionals with Sara Brennan and Vita. Please visit IWCE-Vision. April 2nd, Thursday, East End Interiors is celebrating 30 years in business this year and they have invited LuAnn to speak at their showroom in Long Island NY. If you were at LuAnn Live last year, then you know Sal and Enza and you already know what a fantastic family business they run. If you are in the NY Metro area, especially LI, you must make the time to join us so you can see everything they have to help you complete all of your design projects. They are a strictly to the trade showroom featuring furniture, lighting, accessory and more. LuAnn is also delighted to share that they are the Exclusive VIP Experience Sponsor for LuAnn Nigara Live 2020. High Point Market in April. It all starts with LuAnn’s PTF Tour on Friday, April 24th, 8 am to 11:00 pm. Yup, all day, this event is jam-packed, loaded-to-the-gills, with eye-opening A-ha’s and advice specific to your business. LuAnn brings you 3 of her PTF Experts and one of them is Sandra Funk, the CEO of HOF. Sandra will be on an upcoming PTF where you will learn how she truly runs the back end of her business. And then, get to spend the whole day picking her brain? Uhmmm, the price of admission is worth it right there, no question. During the next few days at HP, LuAnn will have several presentations and panels. Saturday April 25th,she’ll moderate a panel at the showroom of the newest sponsor to join the show, Jaipur, which will be co-hosted by Revelwoods and the Interior Design Society. They will be talking about the Design Build Process and how to navigate the big-ticket projects. On Sunday, LuAnn will be in the HP Theater at 12:00 noon for a very special one-on-one conversation with a very special friend, designer, and all around outstanding human being…not sure if ASID wants the proverbial beans spilled yet…so just put LuAnn on your dance card! Here’s a hint: If you were at LuAnn Live, you could probably make a good guess as to his name… Sunday at 4:00 pm you can always find LuAnn at the Kravet showroom. This is a wonderful opportunity to see and meet the incredible leadership team at Kravet. Later at 6:00 pm Sunday, there will be a special VIP party with Mydoma Studio. YOU are the special VIP :) This is a kickoff event to celebrate this new collaboration, so ple

Welcome to this episode of Power Talk Friday! Nicole Cole joins LuAnn today for a chat about a-ha moments and the ensuing mindset shifts. Nicole will be sharing five takeaways she’s learned from both Power Talk Friday and her time with business coach, Nancy Ganzekaufer. You’ll want to listen in to hear her tips on how she accomplished her mindset shift to being a CEO so that you can implement these ideas for your business, too! Nicole Cole is the CEO and Principal Designer at vestige HOME, a Philadelphia based residential interior designer firm focused on creating spaces that are interesting, engaging, and that encourage people to live well. As a young adult, Nicole served in the Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer before leaving to pursue work in the corporate world. With her new-found freedom outside the military, she realized that she missed the curiosity and creativity she enjoyed as a child, and decided it was time to build a creative business. Thus, vestige HOME was born! Nicole and her team provide turnkey design services, which include trade resource coordination, sourcing expertise, creation of detailed plans, and open communication with her clients. With her many years of project management experience, she consistently delivers her projects in the most streamlined fashion with clear goals and expectations and a plan that provides the least amount of disruption possible to her client’s lives. Nicole studied interior design at Monterey Peninsula College and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Information Systems from the University of Kansas. She believes in creating beauty and exercising a little creativity wherever possible, whether designing a room in a client’s house, picking the perfect pairing of plants for the garden, or just setting the table for breakfast on a Wednesday morning. Nicole’s greatest joy is helping clients to create homes that reflect their lives and personalities while honoring the buildings that contain them. Show Highlights: Systems and processes are fundamental to the way you run a business. Confidence is the reward when systems and processes are used consistently. This confidence spills over to the client and they become confident in you. When you know what you will and will not do, and the why, you will be more selective about who you work with. When you refer a job because you know someone else can do it better than you can, it makes saying ‘no’ so much easier. Nicole’s Five Takeaways: She realized she was no longer “just” a designer, but the CEO. As CEO, she had responsibilities to herself, her team, and her clients. It’s important to build a team. Create the systems and processes, and teach them to your staff. Focus on the details of the client experience. Focus on profit, and don’t feel guilty! Lu Ann covers some additional obstacles that she has observed in speaking with designers. How there’s power in using the phrase, “In my experience”. LuAnn provides a designer perspective on how much work gets packed into each billing hour. When you truly explain what details go into what you do, that’s when the client can buy in to your charges. When you understand your own value for the work you do, you can then feel confident in either what you charge or raising what you charge. Resources: Join us for The Power Talk Friday Tour at High Point Market Friday, April 24th, 2020 from 8am - 11am! Sign Up For Updates HERE! Sponsors: Start Your Trial Now! Mydoma Studio- Your On-Stop Client & Project Management Tool! Jaipur A Well Designed Business Podcast® 4th Birthday Party New York City, New York Thursday, March 19th 5:30 – 7:30pm Kravet Workspace, 200 Lexington Avenue, Suite 210 RSVP HERE! LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! Connect with Nicole! Nicole’sWebsite Nicole’s Instagram Nicole’s Facebook Podcast Sponsor: Article Open Your Trade Account with ARTICLE.com Here! Links to other shows mentioned: Nancy Ganzekaufer #389 Michele Williams #180 Ashley Uhl #412 Bethany Mabee #450 Sarah Durnez #418 Brittanie Elms #149 Taylor Dieterich & Yashlie Negron #346 Kimberly Merlitti #442 Sara Lynn Brennan #463 Wendy Wolshchuk #316 Mikel Welch #297

Welcome to today’s episode of Power Talk Friday, where LuAnn chats with Nikki Rausch, a fellow seasoned sales guru with a passion for the art of selling. Nikki has the unique ability to transform the misunderstood process of selling into techniques, tools, and tips that can successfully be incorporated into a duplicatable process. Nikki Rausch is the Founder and CEO of Sales Maven, where she leverages her 25 years of sales experience to help entrepreneurs learn to sell in an authentic way. As a sales coach, trainer, author, and speaker, Nikki teaches her clients how to authentically move people through the selling process in a way that builds relationships, creates true connection, and results in more closed deals and long-term clients. Her latest book, Selling Staircase, is sure to leave you feeling confidently equipped to develop a genuine sales process that gets those deals closed. Listen in to this jam-packed conversation to find out more about how showing up from a place of credibility and being more strategic will help you to reach your sales goals. Show Highlights: Sales is really about creating strong relationships with people. LuAnn likens closing a sale with being on a first date. Interior Designers often classify themselves as an introvert and therefore don’t develop sales skills. Using your own personality is the best way to grow your business. Nikki helps clients learn how to use language to attract ideal clients. It’s important to be the expert and provide recommendations. You need to be able to explain the “why” so that communication is clear. You can talk people out of buying from you if you don’t recognize a buying signal. LuAnn and Nikki share personal pet-peeves they have when they’re on the receiving end of a sales pitch. Nikki’s 5 Steps of the Selling Staircase: Introduction: Establish yourself as a credible source and make a powerful first impression. Creating Curiosity: Is this a potential client or colleague? Tip: Are you answering questions in a way that spurs people to want to know more about you? Nikki explains the difference between using a ‘cat-calling’ and ‘dog-calling’ technique to create curiosity. The Discovery Phase: Find out what their want/need/problem is, and ask questions that lead to people hiring you. The Proposal: As the expert, recommend the services that you think your client needs, and not what you think they can afford. The Close: Use closing language and then zip it! Let your prospect respond first. If they raise an objection, be ready to uncover and overcome the “real” objection. You, as the salesperson, are not allowed to skip any of these steps. Your client, however, can! Resources: Join us for The Power Talk Friday Tour at High Point Market Coming Spring 2020! Sign Up For Updates HERE! A Well Designed Business Podcast® 4th Birthday Party New York City, New York Thursday, March 19th 5:30 – 7:30pm Kravet Workspace, 200 Lexington Avenue, Suite 210 RSVP HERE! LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! Connect with Nikki! Nikki’s Website - Free E-Book ‘Closing the Sale’! Learn why you might be fumbling sales calls and what to do instead, how you can establish yourself as the expert and language to use when asking for the sale. Nikki’s Sales Maven SocietyFor 10% Off Membership, Use COUPON CODE: luann Nikki’s Selling Strength Assessment Nikki’s Facebook Nikki’s Instagram Nikki’s Linkedin Nikki’s YouTube Nikki’s Books

Welcome! On today’s show, the creative force behind the Barclay Butera Design Firm, joins us on the show for the second time on the podcast. We pick up with Barclay today, where we left off with him in our previous conversation in episode # 122. He talks to us about his corporation, how it has changed, how he vets potential licensing partners, and what his responsibilities are, in terms of his relationships with his licensing partners. Be sure to listen in today, to find out what Barclay has to share. Barclay has been the creative force behind his prestigious design firm since 1994, and he is well-known for his approachable elegance and glamorous coastal-chic interiors. He has showrooms in New Port Beach, California, Corona Del Mar, California, and Park City, Utah. Apart from his thriving interior design business, Barclay is also a stand-out leader in our industry for developing and earning licensing agreements. His licensing partners include Kravet, Jaipur, Bradburn Home Lighting, Castell Outdoor Furniture, Eastern Accents, Leftbank Art, Lexington Home Brands, Mirror Image, Napa Home and Garden, and many others. Barclay also has a long list of esteemed press and media publication credentials. Tune in today, to find out more. Show Highlights: Barclay talks about his new, sophisticated fabric collection at Kravet. Every license relationship wants Barclay to push to the next level. Barclay discusses what he has coming in 2020with Jaipur. Barclay has recently celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of his business. His next book could be out within the next year. Barclay discusses the real estate revenue stream that he has recently added to his corporation. How his whole licensing empire has grown organically to where it is today. Some tips for capitalizing on licensing opportunities. A lot of hard work goes into Barclay's licensing partnerships. Barclay discusses the kinds of people he has to sell to. Barclay informs everything he does with the very same thought processes he uses to manage his very large design firm. Barclay's company has been built on good personal relationships and he promotes from within. Learning to run a business well. Barclay was raised in a sales environment. His parents were both salespeople. Managing with kindness, not fear. Some things to consider when thinking of growing your business. Barclay shares his thoughts about sharing, caring, and supporting charities, and his mechanisms for doing it. Barclay explains why e-commerce is the most difficult revenue stream. Previous Episode Mentioned: Nate Berkus #433 Links: Barclay Butera [email protected] My Doma Studio: A Well designed Business

Welcome! We have Natalie Norcross, the CEO and Founder of A Design Partnership, back on the show today. (She was previously in episode #162.) Natalie started her career as an interior designer. She then built a highly successful residential and hospitality design firm, and after she sold it in 2008, she was repeatedly approached by interior design and architectural firms to assist them with their marketing and business development. And this was how A Design Partnership was born. In today's episode, Natalie talks about the four areas you need to focus on when going after press for your design firm. She also discusses how to make PR more accessible to designers, and she shares her strategies for goal setting, running her firm, and achieving success. Be sure to listen in today, to find out what this #smartlady has to share! A Design Partnership has grown to become a dynamic group of experts who are passionate about helping clients transform their brands and evolve their businesses. From content curators to data-obsessed experts, Natalie leads a dynamic team of design-savvy people who know the industry, love their craft, and are fanatical about helping brands grow. Natalie has more than nineteen years of experience, working for interior designers, architects, builders, developers, and hotel and home brands. Her firm has a proven track record of driving exposure and placements through their PR. Natalie is an Official Member of Forbes Agency Council as well as a regular speaker and panelist in both the communications and design industries. Tune in now, for more! Show Highlights: Having systems in place will allow you to sell your business. How Natalie's agency was born. Systems lead to success. Locking things down and getting things organized in your business. Focus on your goals to achieve your dreams. Ninety days of intention. Focus on becoming the best version of yourself. Success is all about service. Natalie talks about her superpower. Natalie describes her wonderful team. Working with success metric for each client. Accountability is a great mirror. Developing a growth mindset and surrounding yourself with positive people. Everything in your life is figure-outable. Some advice about PR. Great tips for getting press! Getting published with Interior Design PR in 2020. Previous shows mentioned in this episode: Natalie Norcross 1st show #162 Ren Miller #12 Ashley Hotham Cox #321 Amy Flurry #108, #323 Alex Gourlay # 447 Links: Website: A Design Partnership Instagram: A Design Partnership Pinterest: A Design Partnership Facebook: A Design Partnership New Launch: Interior Design PR

Welcome to our special bonus show! Today, as promised, we will be sharing our conversation with Eric Ross about his business philosophy, his process for selling accessories, and the way he manages his reveal install day. Eric's process is unique and very unusual. Be sure to listen in, to hear what he has to share. Eric has been a professional decorator for more than twenty years. Although his preferred design style is traditional, he listens to his clients, to help them discover what they love, and what they respond to because he believes that everyone's home should represent who they are on their best day. Tune in today, to get some great advice from Eric! Show Highlights: Eric doesn't deliver a project piecemeal. He only reveals it when it's ready. Eric takes risks when making purchases for his clients but they seldom ask to return items. It is important to look at what you're trying to achieve, and the value you're bringing to people, and stick to that. Know that your job is to make things beautiful and if something gets returned you have still done your job. Eric loves to wow people at the install. People who appreciate Eric's value and want a beautiful home will be willing to pay the price he's asking. It's Eric's job to design a room to completion. It's the client's job to decide on the budget. The designer needs to learn what makes the client tick. Links: Website: Eric Ross Interiors Facebook: Eric Ross Interiors Instagram: Eric Ross Interiors Pinterest: Eric Ross Interiors Mydoma Studio: A Well Designed Business A Well-Designed Business® 4th Birthday Party

Welcome! Today, Eric Ross joins us on the show. Eric is a charming southern gentleman and a well-experienced design professional. He is also a seasoned businessman who has figured out how to run his firm in a unique way that really works for him. In today's episode, he describes how he runs his private interior design studio like a retail store. He explains that he no longer feels the need to change, apologize or adjust the way he works to conform to a client’s expectations. Eric knows himself well, he understands his passions, and he is very clear about what he will and will not do. Be sure to listen in today, to find about his very interesting business model. Eric is from Nashville. He has been in love with the traditional living design style since he was a child. He has more than twenty years of design experience and his work has been published in Traditional Home, Southern Style, Southern Lady, The Cottage Journal, as well as in many other publications. Eric's passion is to fan the flame of traditional decorating with a deeply Southern esthetic. Tune in now, for more! Show Highlights: Eric explains what he means when he says that he is running his design firm like a store without a storefront. What the decorating track of Eric's business is all about. Eric's margins are hefty, just like those in a storefront, and all of his design services are included in that pricing. The way that Eric educates his clients about his philosophy and the way he works. Talking about transparency. People will happily pay Eric for his product rather than his time. Trust is a key issue. Eric's business model allows him to have total control over the whole process. Eric's advice is to start small with clients. It makes your business more manageable. The biggest motivator for Eric is seeing the result of what he has created. Eric's qualifying process for his new clients. Eric explains why he does not do discounts. The opportunities you're losing by being overworked. Eric's goal is to monetize his passion. Our industry is too high-touch to make it high volume. It's okay to mark up because of the value you add to the project. You don't have to explain your "no". Eric has a new book out, called Enduring Southern Homes. Links: Website: Eric Ross Interiors Facebook: Eric Ross Interiors Instagram: Eric Ross Interiors Pinterest: Eric Ross Interiors Mydoma Studio: A Well Designed Business A Well-Designed Business® 4th Birthday Party

Welcome to Power Talk Friday! Traci Reuter, the founder, and CEO of Divine Social joins us today. Traci loves to uplift and inspire business owners, entrepreneurs, or anyone with an amazing idea! She has a knack for uncovering just the right strategy for everyone and then helping them map things out to make the execution simple and easy. In today's episode, Traci shares tons of ideas, strategies, and tips for paid marketing on social media. Be sure to listen in to find out more about the paid advertising aspect of Instagram and Facebook. Traci has twenty-five years of experience in sales and marketing. She is passionate about supporting businesses and growing their brands through real and meaningful social media advertising. She has a special gift for mapping out the perfect strategy to get a brand in front of the right people at the right time. Traci truly knows her stuff when it comes to high-level marketing strategy. She also co-hosts the Social Media Happy Hour podcast with Dawn Marks. Tune in today, to learn what she has to share. Show Highlights: The power of paid advertising on social media. Traci explains how she started with her business. Traci gives her team incredible training. Sometimes, it takes just a tiny thing to make all the difference in your profitability. Begin with the end in mind. The customer journey. Never spend money on ads. Rather invest in your business. Consideration is not the same as pre-purchase. Why Traci is against boosting Facebook posts. It takes time to build up enough trust to invest in advertising. Thinking about what to put your ads, to get your prospects to want to know more. Branding is about telling your story so that business comes out of it. Creating engagement with your prospects. Building audiences of people who have watched your Facebook video. Traci shares the EDIE formula for creating a great video. All your ads must be congruent with your end-goal. Video out-performs everything else on social media. What to do if you only have the budget to run one thing. The Three Pillars to Successful Social Ads. Should you focus on Facebook or Instagram? Bio: Traci Reuter is the founder/CEO of Divine Social. She’s passionate about supporting businesses in growing their brands through authentic, meaningful social advertising. Traci has an uncanny gift for looking at any business’s mission, vision, and message, and mapping out the right strategy to get their brand in front of the right people at the right time. With 25 years of experience in sales and marketing, Traci knows her stuff when it comes to high-level marketing strategy. Combined with her tactical knowledge of social advertising, Traci can write the recipe for any brand’s success, and she would love to share some of her greatest secrets behind mapping out your own powerful social advertising strategy. Previous shows mentioned in this episode: Nicole Heymer #125, #317, and #466 Links: Website: Divine Social Instagram: Traci Reuter Facebook: Traci Reuter Social Youtube: Traci Reuter Please take advantage of Traci’s gifts: For the 15-minute audit, if you are spending more than $3000 a month on social media marketing, email Traci at [email protected]. For Traci's free mini-course, 3 Pillars To Successful Social Ads, go to A Well Designed Business Big announcement - The 4th Birthday Party for the podcast will be at Kravet’s new workspace center at 200 Lexington NY NY on March 19, 2020, at 5:30 pm Book mentioned: Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey

Welcome! Today, we have Lisa Haude, of Paradigm Design Group, joining us! Lisa built her firm from ground zero to a firm with gross revenues exceeding fifty-million dollars. And she showed her relentless commitment by doing that the old-fashioned way, by calling on her contacts week after week. In today's episode, Lisa talks to us about how she runs her business, and she explains how all her success can be attributed to her commitment to delivering an exceptional project, regardless of the situation. Tune in today, to find out how planning to exceed your clients' expectations in every aspect of a project will always bring about a successful result. As the lead designer and founder of Paradigm Design Group for the last fifteen years, Lisa Haude is an expert in livable luxury. She has built Paradigm Design Group into a hospitality design powerhouse. With projects ranging from The Roosevelt Waldorf Astoria in New Orleans to the award-winning Portland Marriott Downtown, to boutique hotels and numerous Hilton hotels across the United States, Lisa prides herself on her design versatility. Be sure to listen in today, to find out more about Lisa, and her work ethic, and her successful design firm. Show Highlights: Lisa spent time working at high-end hospitality firms, for architectural design firms, and in the hotel and hospitality industry, on the inside, on their design teams, before opening her firm. She talks to us about how this great learning experience informs the way she runs her firm. Lisa gives us some insight into the way her firm looks. Taking care of the details and all the moving pieces on multiple-million dollar projects. The way that Lisa's whole team collaborates to bring about an awesome project. Dealing with the documentation. Talking about accountability. The whole team is detail-oriented. Open discussions are vital for growing and improving. Taking responsibility, as a leader, for whatever happens with a project. Sometimes it's hard to find your humor when you're in the trenches. Some advice for landing and keep long-term hospitality accounts. Owning up if you mess up is very important. People like to do business with people who have similar ideals and values. Lisa has an amazing village of co-workers. How Lisa created her opportunities and made things happen when she started her firm. Lisa offers some awesome advice. Thinking outside the box to make things happen. The background and skills that Lisa looks for when hiring a junior designer. Previous shows mentioned in this episode: Meryl Santopietro #40 Mikel Welch #297 Corey Damen Jenkins #127 Claire Jefford #237 Vanessa DeLeon #18 Links: Website: Paradigm Design Facebook: Paradigm Design Group Instagram: Paradigm Design Group The 4th Birthday Party for the podcast will be at Kravet's new workshop center at 200 Lexington New York on March 19, 2020, at 5.30 pm. Use this link to RSVP - Event Brite

Welcome to Power Talk Friday! Today, we have one of our early guests back on the show. Diane Gardener, known as The Tax Coach (Episode #54) is back with us to talk about the specific niche of seven-figure interior design firms. Although LuAnn has done a lot of shows about getting a design business off the ground, she realized that she's done way fewer shows about what to do when you are in the seven-figure bracket. And there are very specific challenges that come with this area. When moving into the seven-figure bracket, business owners frequently experience higher expenses, cash flow problems, and higher taxes. So be sure to listen in today even if you're still a #babydesigner because LuAnn fully intends for you to become a seven-figure interior designer someday. Diane Gardner is a Certified Tax Coach, a Quilly award recipient, and a best-selling author whose expert planning approach has saved her clients over three-million dollars in taxes. Her expertise lies in the area of tax planning. And her goal is to make sure that successful entrepreneurs across the United States are paying the least amount of income tax that they can legally pay. She aims to save taxes, one business at a time, through the use of pro-active tax planning. Diane has been featured on popular podcasts such as CEO Warrior, For the Love of Money, Listen Money Matters, Investing in The U.S, Cashflow Ninja, SharkPrenuer, Wealth Formula and Profit Boss. Tune in today, to learn about what you need in your seven-figure business to mitigate risk, increase your profits, and legally decrease your taxes. Show Highlights: Diane is a certified Profit First coach. Planning ahead to pay less tax when moving into the seven-figure tax bracket. Increased income often means increased expenses. Becoming an active partner with your CPA or Business Coach. The tax planning strategies that seven-figure businesses need to implement to keep more money A great way to incentivize your people and lessen your tax load. It takes a different set of skills to run a bigger business. How to increase your cash flow to leverage growth from multi-six-figures to seven-figures. Diane explains how a tax coach can be your ultimate advocate and partner in growth. Doing an entity analysis for your business. An amazing strategy for saving money by investing in your own insurance company. Other guests mentioned in this show: Michele Williams #180, #395 Peter Lang # 349, #464 Diane Gardner was on the show before in episode #54 Links: Diane's website: Tax Coach 4 You Diane's offer: Planning guide for the new tax law vs old tax law. Diane’s Facebook handles: @taxcoach4you @AdeptBusinessServices

Welcome to the epic 500th episode of A Well-Designed Business! So far, it's been a wild ride, and we've fully enjoyed every minute of it! Even LuAnn, the consummate positive thinker, ever-optimistic dreamer, and earnest believer in the truth, could not foresee all the joy she has experienced, and the delightful connections she has made, because of this podcast! Join us today, for this truly memorable episode! Recently, LuAnn has been spending time reflecting on all the pleasure that this podcast has brought her. She's been thinking about all the people she's met, the invaluable relationships she's formed, the opportunities she's been given, and the ones she has helped to create through this podcast. She has also taken the time to break down the various business strategies she's used in running this platform. In today's episode, she shares the five things that she learned behind the scenes, from doing this show. Be sure to tune in today, to hear about the 5 Keys that LuAnn believes were essential for her to have in place, to allow for her calling to happen. Show Highlights: LuAnn talks about the 5 essential keys to success. Talking about passion. How LuAnn realized that she needed to do a podcast. Looking for something to light her up, back in 2013. Lessons learned from golf lessons, surfing lessons, and 46-mile bike rides. Never looking back, only ahead for what was to come. LuAnn shares her true passion. Even the hard days have been an absolute joy for LuAnn. Creating a business plan with cold, hard facts. Making clear decisions, based on facts and up-front agreements. Clarity creates calm and purpose because when you have a plan, you are more likely to get to where you want to be. Having an unrelenting, single-minded, and focused commitment to getting things done. Every business is always a work in progress. What you need, to be successful. Commitment is showing up on schedule, being prepared to do what you said you would do, and doing the work. What it takes, to run a village. LuAnn has been blessed by the most amazing village of the brands who believe in this show. It has been through the village of guests, sponsors, co-authors, and listeners that LuAnn has grown, and learned so much, in the last four years. Some valuable lessons were learned from doing LuAnn Live. Paying other people to deal with the details and fill in the gaps. Having the support of our amazingly gifted podcast village. The sad loss of a dear friend, Liza Jones. Treasuring the support of all her co-authors. Make someone's day, and decide to be excellent! Previous shows mentioned in this episode: Nicole Heymer #125, #317, and #466 Taylor Spellman #106, #390, and #467 Michele Williams #137, #180, #395, and #424 Sarah Daniele #91, #119, and #177 Jenny and Greg Madden #332 Corey Damon Jenkins #388 Eileen Hahn #363 Wendy Glaister #386 Links: LuAnn Nigara My Doma Studio Kravet Article Kirsch Revel Woods

Welcome to Power Talk Friday! We have Shauna Lynn Simon with us today. She is an award-winning home staging industry expert and business strategist, and she's also one of the co-authors of LuAnn's second book, A Well-Designed Business, The Power Talk Friday Experts. Shauna Lynn is seriously committed to helping aspiring entrepreneurs achieve success in their businesses. In today's episode, she explains how to become unforgettable to your clients. She shares several ways to make yourself memorable so that you're always the first person that your clients think of when they need an interior design or a window treatment service. Be sure to listen in, to find out what this exceptional businesswoman has to share with you today. You're really going to love her! Shauna Lynn Simon is dedicated to creating educational content that builds successful relationships between like-minded professionals. She partners with CEOs, executives, and solo-preneurs to grow their brands. Shauna Lynn has built a thriving home staging and design business. She has designed a comprehensive and systematic program for teaching the technical and the business side of the home staging world. She also offers core and continuing education for home staging professionals through Styled, Listed, and Sold (SLS) Academy. Tune in now, for more! Show Highlights: Making yourself stand out uniquely. It's all about understanding who you are and owning it. Shauna Lynn's company has been branded with the color pink. You need to know who you are and what you represent. People often forget the names of people they have worked with before. You need to find something to make yourself memorable. Owning every part of your image. You have to be one in a million. Figuring out what makes you the best. What fires up your passion? Finding your purpose by looking at what makes you happy. Positioning yourself well in the marketplace. Give people a reason to remember you. Figure out your "thing" is and steer yourself in that direction. Everything you do should reflect your business in some way. Creating an effective About You page. Bio: Shauna Lynn Simon is an award-winning home staging industry expert and business strategist, committed to guiding aspiring entrepreneurs to achieve success in their business. After building a thriving home staging and design business, she founded Styled, Listed, and Sold (SLS) Academy, a comprehensive and systematic program providing core and continuing education training for home staging professionals. Analyst turned home stager, Shauna Lynn combines creativity with logic and problem solving to achieve incredible results. Dedicated to creating educational content that builds successful relationships, Shauna Lynn partners with CEOs, executives and solo-preneurs in the creative field to grow their personal and professional brands, providing real-world insights and actionable tips for conquering their business dreams. Links: Website: Beyond The Stage Homes Facebook: Beyond The Stage Homes YouTube Channel Pinterest: BTSHomes Exciting Windows IWCE PowerHouse Smart Luxury Conference - phs20.com Goodies Previous shows mentioned in this episode: Shauna Lynn Simon # 76, #84, and #102 Moniomi Design #193 Dane Austin #457 Nicole Heymer #125, #317, and #466

Welcome! Today, we have Claire Staszak back on the show with us. Claire, who was previously in episode #166, is the principal of the Chicago-based firm, Centered by Design. Claire is a kind and genuine lady, and LuAnn has always had a very soft spot for her. In today's episode, she explains how to create excellent, top-quality content for social media. She and LuAnn also talk about how they met at the Design Influencer's Conference in 2017, and they discuss how Claire's blog, Centered by Design, was honored with an award for Best Design Writing. Be sure to listen in, to hear what Claire has to share about creating quality content for social media. Centered By Design, is known for its holistic design process, which combines Claire's passion for wellness with her well-trained eye for interiors. Claire studied interior design at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and she holds a Certificate of Kitchen and Bath Design from Harper College. She is also a certified yoga instructor with more than 500 hours of training. Claire's work has been featured by The Chicago Tribune, Modern Luxury, HGTV, Domino, Architectural Digest online and more. Tune in now, to find out more. Show Highlights: Claire will be speaking at The Powerhouse Smart Luxury Conference that LuAnn will be headlining, in February, in Chicago. Why The Powerhouse Smart Luxury Conference is unique and well worth attending. Claire talks about winning the Best Design Writing Award at the Design Influencer's Conference, in 2017. The Design Influencer's Conference was a turning point for Claire. It boosted her and gave her a lot of confidence. Claire has a degree in journalism so writing comes very naturally to her. Helping as many people as possible, as effectively as possible. Claire came to the Design Influencer's Conference, in 2017, asking whether or not she should continue writing her blog. Claire shares her biggest takeaway from her experience of winning the Best Design Writing Award. Claire has created a workbook, called Authentically You, for interior designers and creatives looking to create content for their websites and social media. Claire has a social media following of 18 000 people, and she gets more than a million views a month on Pinterest. She shares some tips and strategies. Creating opportunities for brand ambassadorship. Claire's best apps for pre-planning and creating content. Growing your #following on Instagram. You attract the right kind of clients when you're authentic on social media. Claire has an awesome giveaway for you today! Links: Claire's online shop pages: Centered By Design Centered By Design Claire's Instagram and Pinterest: Instagram: Claire Staszak Pinterest: Claire Staszak Claire's blog Claire's giveaway - Social Media Prompts for Seasonal & Evergreen Content Goodies Process Leads To Profits Profit With Window Treatments What Would Lu Do LuAnn and Claire will be speaking at the Power House Smart Luxury Conference this February 5, 2020 For tickets Previous shows mentioned in this episode: Claire’s 1st episode #166 Kelsey Grose- The Farmer’s Daughter #167 - Winner of Best New Design Blog 2017 by Design Influencers Conference Shea McGee - episode #’s: 236, 270 - Keynote Speaker 2017 at Design Influencers Conference Amber Lewis – episode #’s: 168, 184 - Keynote Speaker 2017 at Design Influencers Conference Wendy Cohen: #483 - Organizer of the 2020 Power House Smart Luxury Conference

Welcome to Power Talk Friday! Today, we have a business strategist, Kim Dawson, joining us. Kim enjoys working with business owners, helping them earn more and grow their businesses into successful enterprises. Her superpower is helping the owners of service-based businesses work out their ideal pricing formula. In other words, she guides them through a process of figuring out how much they should be charging, either per hour or for an entire project, to be profitable. Kim's advice is to always start with the numbers so that you can plan and strategize to accomplish your goals, rather than wishing for them to happen. Be sure to listen in today, to find out what she has to share. Kim is a lifelong entrepreneur. She has started many businesses of her own, including a local health and fitness studio, and she has also co-founded a software setup. Kim's experience lies both in locally-focused, service-oriented businesses, and in online product-based businesses. Tune in now, to find out how to set and track your yearly financial goals, and make more profit from your business. Show Highlights: Kim works with many different industries. Running a business is not for everybody. Owning a business does not mean that you know how to run one. Making a plan to earn your money. Getting your priorities in order. Looking at your numbers. Kim shares a formula for working out how much money you need to bring in each year. You need to know your market. Evaluating the whole situation before deciding to take something on helps you stay on target. Kim advises charging a flat fee, rather than an hourly fee. Working out your hourly rate. Finding the right market for the rate you're charging. Using a strategic plan to get where you want to go. Tracking your time makes your billing easier. Kim used to have The Sassy Strategist Podcast. The shows to go with this show: Krista Coupar #60 Kim Merlitti #361 and #442 Alinda Morris #429 Cheryl Clendenon #482 Michele Williams #395 Kae Whitaker #114 Links: Kim Dawson LuAnn Nigara Profit With Window Treatments Kirsch My Doma Studio Kravet Well Designed Article IWCE Vision

Welcome to the last podcast for 2019! Today, we have Sally Williams, the owner of Colorful Concepts Interior Design, based in Raleigh, New York, with us on the show. Sally knows who she is, what she is capable of doing, and what sets her apart from other designers. And this comes across very distinctly in her carefully thought-out and exceptionally well-written bio. Listen in today, to hear what Sally has to share about the way she markets and grows her design firm. Sally is very clear about what she will do and what she won't do in her business. And she knows precisely what to say when she has to have difficult conversations with her clients. This is Sally's secret sauce because certain conversations can be very hard to have if you're not prepared. In today's show, Sally explains how she's equipped herself for having these hard conversations with clients, and she talks to us about two changes that she made in her firm, which have resulted in a 40% increase in her gross sales in just one year. Be sure to tune in today, to find out more! We wish you the happiest and most successful of years in 2020! Show Highlights: Sally explains how she achieved a 40% growth in her business this year, by making two changes. Changing to charging an hourly rate, rather than a flat fee. Sally explains how she estimates the cost of a design project. Sally's mechanism for billing her clients for additional work. Sally explains how she and her team track their hours. Sally walks us through her strategy wall for new projects. Setting things up for a new project. Sally explains how she persuades new clients to hang in there, and bear with her until she's ready to start with their project. How Sally and her team coped with a 40% growth this year. Creating touchpoints for keeping the communication with the client open throughout a project. The wrapping-up process. Susan Brunstrum (#36) has developed a great process for wrapping up a design project. Charging the same mark-up percentage on products across the board. Sally explains how she builds her pipeline and markets her business. Bio: Sally Williams, the Owner and Principal Designer of Colorful Concepts Interior Design has a design aesthetic that is timeless and free of stylistic premises working in contemporary and traditional spaces alike. Sally is a CQRID-certified Interior Designer who has also earned an Accounting degree from the College of William and Mary. She worked in Corporate Accounting Management prior to following her life-long passion for Fine Art and Craft by opening a Gallery in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. During her seven years of Gallery ownership, Sally’s eyes were opened to the world of Interior Design. With the encouragement of Gallery clients, friends, and family, she pursued vigorous self-study of the field. In 2002, Sally closed the Gallery and Colorful Concepts was born. The gallery and artists Sally worked with continue to inspire her design approach today. She begins her designs with the color palette, which sets the tone for the entire project. Sally transforms a space artistically, providing balanced composition and soulful color schemes set in crisp optimistic environments. She has a strong philosophy that environments impact peoples’ daily lives, and she works with the client to deeply understand what they want and need in their space. ​As the daughter of a United States Foreign Service Officer, Sally spent much of her childhood overseas. A multi-cultural heritage of French-Canadian on her Father’s side, and Peruvian on her Mother’s, has also inspired Sally’s creativity, which is delivered beyond her client’s expectations. Sally is a Past President of the Triangle Chapter of the Interior Design Society; a member of numerous Professional Associations including the Home Builders Association and the Remodeler’s Council; and is a volunteer with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the Carolina Designer Craftsmen Guild. Sally has lived in Raleigh for thirty years, where she and her husband, Richard, raised their two daughters - Angela and Nancy. Colorful Concepts Interior Design is a full-service Interior Design studio providing professional services in residential renovation design, space planning, new home materials selections, custom window treatments, and furnishings, fine art and craft consulting, and more. At Colorful Concepts Interior Design, long-term client relationships are valued, and we look forward to working with you on future projects as well. We are fortunate to serve clients in a way that truly enhances their lives. Previous shows mentioned in this episode: Cheryl Clendenon # 482 Susan Brunstrum # 36 Nicole Heymer # 125, #317, and #466 Fred Berns #22, #48, #96, #174, #226, #289, #337, #393, and #460 Links: Colorful Concepts Interior Design Instagram Facebook Dering Hall Luann Nigara Well Designed Article My Doma Studio: A Well Designed Business

Welcome to another Power Talk Friday! Today, we're very excited to be talking money with our guest, Gerri Detweiler! Gerri understands just how to talk to creatives like us about money in a way that we truly get it. As designers, we need to understand that working intentionally with our business finances will ultimately allow us to bring our design talent to the world. However, many creatives struggle to understand the nuances of money and finance, so, in today's episode, Gerri talks to us about business finance and she explains how to get access to a line of credit. Be sure to listen in, to get a clear understanding of credit and financing for your business. Gerri has been guiding individuals through the confusing world of credit for more than twenty years. Her articles have been widely syndicated, and she is either the author or co-author of five books, including her most recent, Finance Your Own Business: Get on the Financing Fast Track. Gerri is also the Education Director for Nav, which matches small business owners to their best financing options and gives them free access to their personal and business credit scores. Tune in today, to find out more! Show Highlights: Gerri admits that she's not a numbers person. She does what she does because she loves helping people. Gerri hates seeing people making bad choices. Why you need to have a good financial buffer available for your business. Setting your business up smartly, for success. Protecting your personal finances from your business's ups and downs. There are a lot of misconceptions and misunderstandings about which cards to use in your business. Some clever strategies for saving on bank charges. Avoiding fraud with credit cards. Using business credit to benefit your cash-flow. Establishing a line of credit. There are many different loans available for small businesses via the SBA. Checking on business credit. Why you need to keep your personal credit scores separate from business credit scores. Business credit- use it or you'll lose it. How Nav helps business owners. You can set up your business credit for free with Nav. Links: Nav: The coupon code for opening a premium Nav account is PODCAST. Nav Blog Find out which small business credit cards don't report to your personal credit: Nav Small business credit cards that DO help you build business credit Get Nav's free Build Business Credit Checklist at Nav Podcast Facebook: Nav Twitter: NavSMB Previous shows mentioned in this episode: Peter Lang #349 and #464 Kimberley Merlitti #361 and #442 Michele Williams #137, #180, #395, and #424 Taylor Spellman #467 Ashley Micchice #468

Welcome! We have Mimi Goldsmith, a loyal podcast listener, and the principal owner of her referral-based business, Style by Mimi G, with us on the show today. Mimi's bio is a perfect example of the lessons that Fred Berns, and Nicole Heymer, of Curio Electro, have been teaching us. Although Mimi has only been in business for a few short years, she has created a bio that draws the reader's attention to the uniqueness of her work. In today's episode, she talks to us about her business, how she started it, and all the shows that influenced her and helped her get her business off the ground. Be sure to listen in today, to hear what Mimi has to share about her journey! Mimi Goldsmith, an interior decorator, and stylist is the principal owner of Style by Mimi G, which she opened in 2016. Mimi provides full-service interior decorating, e-design service, interior consultations, space planning, paint color consulting and home styling packages. She specializes in creating one-of-a-kind residential and commercial interiors for her local full-service clients. She also specializes in creating tranquil therapy offices for therapists across the world through her online services. Tune in now, to find out how Mimi got her business up and running! Show Highlights: Mimi describes her spontaneous decision to start her interior design business. The kind of research Mimi did when she started her business. Mimi didn't know how much to charge when she started. The magic of attending a LuAnn Live event. Mimi explains how she found this podcast. The groups that can be found via the podcast. How Mimi has been growing her business. Where Mimi found the necessary information to grow her business. Some lessons that Mimi learned from getting her clients' feedback. To work after business hours, or not? Mimi takes Friday, Saturday, and Sunday afternoons off. Some very valuable lessons that Mimi has learned. Making use of My Doma's services. It's a great idea to create various design packages. Learning about vendor relationships. Buying from local vendors and learning from their expertise. It's essential to run your business with integrity. When you charge more, you can deliver more, and you create loyalty. Links: Mimi Goldsmith's website: Style by Mimi G Instagram: Style by Mimi G Facebook: Style by Mimi G What Would Lu Do? LuAnn Live Get the Goodies LuAnn Nigara and Friends Facebook Group Claire’s Facebook group: Interior Design Business Strategies Veronica’s Facebook group: What They Don’t Teach You in Design School Darla’s Facebook group: The Wingnut Social Media Lab Previous shows mentioned in this episode: Fred Berns #22, #48, #96, #174, #226, #289, #337, #393, and #460 Nicole Heymer (Curio Electro) #125, #317, and #466 Summer Tannhauser #292 Stefan Spencer Sandra Funk # 02 and #145 Groups to be found in the podcast: Claire Jefford (# 237, #325, #485) - Interior Design Business Strategies Veronica Solomon (#50) - What They Don't Teach You In Design School Darla Powel (#203, #330)l - Wingnut Social Leslie Carothers (#458) - The Design Wealth Group Cheryl Clendenon (#482) - Small Business, Think Big Email LuAnn at [email protected] if you think she could be your partner in making 2020 your amazing year!

Welcome to Power Talk Friday! Today, we have Vita (Vitalia) Vygovska joining us on the show. As most of you know, Vita is LuAnn's Window Treatment Friday co-host. Ever since they launched the series last summer, they have been getting awesome feedback from designers and the window treatment community. Vita is an award-winning window treatment specialist with an impressive career path. In today's episode, you will learn all about her life, her career, her business, and her superpowers, so be sure to listen in, to get to know Vita a little better! Vita has an MBA. She is a CWFP (Certified Window Treatment Professional), an award-winning window treatment specialist, and an author. Her company, Vitalia Inc. Her company, Vitalia, Inc., provides all-encompassing concierge-level, tech-driven fabrication, measurement, installation, and project management services, exclusively for interior designers. Tune in today to find out more! Show Highlights: Vita talks about what her career path looked like before she started doing window treatments. How Vita came to open Vitalia Inc. Vita has a flair for finance. The corporate world can be brutal. Vita truly appreciates the skills she developed and the lessons she learned in the corporate world. Why Vita decided to leave her corporate career. Productivity is very important for Vita. The kind of confidence that corporate gave Vita. Learning the skill and finesse to stand her ground in the face of bullies. Looking back to learn from your past mistakes. Vita is like an extension of the team of the designers she works with. Entering the window treatment world with her eyes wide open. It took Vita two years to decide to leave the corporate world. Being very clear about your mission and vision. It's not necessary to go it alone because there's so much help and support available out there. What you will learn in Vita's eight-week Profit With Window Treatments Remember- your success starts with a decision. Bio: Vitalia Vygovska (Vita for short), CWFP, MBA, is an award-winning window treatment specialist, author, speaker, mom, wife, and a ballroom dance enthusiast. Her company, Vitalia, Inc, provides all-encompassing concierge-level, tech-driven fabrication, measurement, installation, and project management services exclusively for interior designers. In business for over a decade, Vita and her team are experts in their narrow field, providing designers with superb quality product and excellent communication. Most importantly, they take off the stress, save time, and give peace of mind in the job is well-done. A big thank you to Kirsch for sponsoring Window Treatment Fridays! Links: To learn more & register for Vita's course: Profit With Window Treatments To learn more about working with Vita and Vitalia Inc To learn more about working with Window Works To receive a free subscription to Window Fashion Vision Magazine To attend the IWCE where both LuAnn and Vita will be presenting To learn about the WCAA (Window Coverings Association of America) To learn about Exciting Windows To learn about Mydoma Studio

Welcome! Today, Laura Umansky, the principal of Laura U, (episode # 64) joins us once again on the show. Laura very clear about her vision for her firm and she is currently guiding her company to work towards growing from a five-million-dollar firm to a ten-million-dollar firm. In today's episode, Laura explains that, for her, this kind of growth requires a team of outside expert consultants, including an outside CFO, an EOS (Entrepreneur's Operating System) consultant, and her business advisor, in addition to her internal team. Laura is a true #smartlady, so be sure to listen in today, to hear this outstanding conversation. Laura is the Founder and Creative Director of Laura U Interior Design, which is based in Houston, Texas. Her work has been featured by esteemed media outlets, which include Elle Decor, House Beautiful, Modern Luxury Houston, Veranda, and Luxe Interiors. Laura is also in Carl Dellator's brand new book, On Style: Inspiration and Advice from the New Generation of Interior Design, which was released in the fall of 2019. Tune in now, for more! Show Highlights: Laura is ultra-focused and she is a major planner. Nothing happens by accident so you have to be prepared to be lucky. Laura talks about the intentional way that she and her plan for her business to be run. Work begets work. You need to put yourself out there, plan, and get involved with your community, for things to come back to you. Laura is ready to take her firm to the next level. She explains what this means for her. Structuring a business to scale it. Laura describes the kinds of decisions she has to make in her firm. For her first seven years in business, Laura worked without the assistance of any advisors. Laura started working with a business coach four or five years ago. Working with a virtual CFO. Laura has chosen to run her business on the EOS (Entrepreneur's Operating System) system. The EOS system can even be used for a family! Always doing what's best for the business is vital. How Laura manages to be both the visionary and the integrator for her firm. Laura talks about the processes that are involved in growing her firm from a five-million-dollar company to a ten-million-dollar company. Being a life-long-learners with a growth mindset is important for scaling a business. Laura talks about Carl Dellator's book, On Style, which has just come out. Bio: Laura Umansky is the Founder and Creative Director of Laura U Interior Design, a firm based in Houston, TX. Design has always been a part of her life. From a young age, Laura was deeply influenced by her environment, constantly finding ways to arrange her possessions with meaning and purpose. Seeing her father build her childhood home in Seguin, TX was the starting point of her career. “To see that he could do that, create our home with his own two hands…that lit something inside of me,” says Laura, who went on to study art at the University of Texas and subsequently obtain her Masters in Architecture from the University of Houston. In 2006, she founded Laura U Interior Design, bringing her unique vision for Classically Current interiors to life. “Interior design, the way we practice it, is a true luxury,” Laura says. “Every part is crafted by human hands. We take great care to find out what matters to our clients most, and then to articulate that through great design.” Every interior is an authentic reflection of our clients’ passions and values so that just like Laura, they are never without something they enjoy. Laura’s work has been featured by esteemed media outlets, including Elle Decor, House Beautiful, Modern Luxury Houston, Veranda, and Luxe Interiors. Previous episodes mentioned in this show: Laura Umansky #64 Kimberly Merlitti #361, #432 LuAnn PTF #491 Books mentioned: Traction by Gino Wickman Rocket Fuel by Gino Wickman and Mark C. Winters Links: Website: Laura U Interior Design Instagram: Laura U Interior Design Pinterest: Laura U Interior Design Facebook: Laura U Interior Design Article Trade Program Mydoma Studio Process Leads to Profits with Sara Lynn Brennan Profit with Window Treatments with Vita Vygovska What Would Lu Do Design Build for Profit with Jenny Slingerland

Welcome to Power Talk Friday! Today, LuAnn will be talking to us about the kinds of problems and obstacles that stand in the way of designers with the running of their design firms. Although everyone is unique, there are still certain themes that play out, and problems that we all tend to share, as entrepreneurs. Listen in today, to learn what you can do to overcome the challenges that we, as designers, all face in our businesses. LuAnn has put a lot of thought into the best way to address these things in a precise way that would benefit each of you the most, as individuals. This has not been an easy task because designers are such a diverse group, with varying levels of experience. In today's episode, LuAnn will teach you how to grow your client base, increase your net profits, improve your business acumen and sharpen your sales skills. She will also talk about goal setting and great ways to expand your network. Be sure to tune in today, to find out how to grow your business in 2020. Show Highlights: You can turn your business around by listening to the podcast. It's your number one free resource! Systemizing every aspect of your business. About Sara Brennan's eight-week course, Process Leads to Profits. How to talk confidently with your clients about window treatments, with Vita's eight-week course. You need to know what you don't know. LuAnn's superpower is sales, which is all about listening. Creating client loyalty and lasting relationships. If you'd like to get inside of LuAnn's brain, whatwouldludo.com will be meeting once a month, live, via Zoom. Go to whatwouldludo.com to sign up. Jenny Slingerland's DesignBuildForProfit course will be starting in February 2020. A great opportunity for #seasoneddesigners. LuAnn Live is coming in November of 2020. Are you going to settle for normal in 2020 or will you strive to be exceptional? Previous shows mentioned in this episode: Darci Hether #220 Darla Powell #203 and #330 Kelsey Gross #167 Kimberley Kay #234 Christine Lin #470 Sara Brennan #463 Links: LuAnn Nigara Process Leads to Profits Profit With Window Treatments Design-Build For Profit Whatwouldludo LuAnn Nigara LuAnn Nigara

Welcome to the show! Today, Britany Simons joins us. Britany founded her full-service design firm, Britany Simon Design House, in 2010. Her work caught the attention of national media and this helped to launch Britany into the world of television and media. In today's episode, she talks to us about her experience of being in the seventh season of the hit HGTV design challenge series, Design Star. She shares the lessons she's learned from doing the show, and how she applies them today, to her design firm. Be sure to listen in today, to hear about Britany's extensive experience of doing television shows. For the last fifteen years, Britany's design career has covered everything from large-scale commercial renovations to budget-friendly builds, including entire home makeovers. With a degree in Business and Interior Design, Britany's professional career started with working for some of the top design firms in Arizona, where she specialized in kitchen and bath design, as well as the whole construction process, from conception to completion. In addition to being a regular design contributor to television, digital, and print media outlets, Britany has also been the host for the Holiday House series on HGTC.com, a designer on Travel Channel's hit series, Hotel Impossible, co-host of We're Moving In, on the FYI Network, and a featured designer on Bravo Network's new design show, Best Room Wins. Tune in now, to find out more! Show Highlights: Britany enjoys supporting and having the support of other designers. Britany discusses how she stumbled into doing TV design shows. Being on TV isn't as glamorous as it looks. Why you don't make good money on TV unless you get into the fifth season of a show. Some of the lessons Britany learned from being on a TV show. TV challenges are very stressful and you have to be self-sufficient and savvy with your resources because you're left to your own devices. You have to be highly organized to pull off a TV challenge. It's a very testing experience. It's very rewarding to complete a TV challenge. Being on TV is not what you would imagine because it's more exciting for the producers if the designer breaks down and falls apart. What Britany learned about herself, as a designer, from being on TV. Being on TV taught Britany to be more efficient and trust her gut. Learning to understand the process of how things are made, and what's involved with the different aspects of a renovation process. Britany gained a lot of confidence from being on TV. Being on TV certainly opened doors for Britany. You need to know what you want from being on TV before you start because it's a huge time commitment. You need to be mindful of where you're putting your energy. Television has been the marketing that Britany has used in her business. Bio: To Britany Simon, the foundation of good design is about the experience that it gives you. She believes in spaces that blend fashion with function and luxury with livability. With a focus on creating a space that is a reflection of who you are, and an emphasis on how it makes you feel. Her artistic nature, a penchant for the details, and eye for the unexpected have helped her create incredibly distinguished living spaces and striking commercial projects for her clients. Over the last fifteen years, Britany’s experience has spanned across a vast array of projects – from large-scale commercial renovations to whole home makeovers to budget-friendly builds. Although she has had a lifelong love affair with interior design and architecture, Britany received formal training through her bachelor’s degree in Business & Interior Design. She began her professional career working for some of the top design firms in Arizona where she worked on new residential homes, specializing in both kitchen and bath design, from conception to completion throughout the entire construction process. In 2010, she founded Britany Simon Design House – a full-service design firm. The signature style and unmatched execution of BSDH have garnered a notable client roster with projects all over the country. Additionally, her work has caught the attention of national media and helped launch Britany’s foray into the television and media world. Upon being selected on the seventh season of the hit HGTV design challenge series, Design Star, Britany discovered a new passion for television and video production. Her natural talent for design and on-camera presence earned her the accolade of “Fan Favorite” from her season. In addition to being a regular design contributor to television, digital and print media outlets, she has also been the host for the Holiday House series on HGTV.com, a designer on Travel Channel’s hit series, Hotel Impossible, co-host of We’re Moving In on the FYI Network, and a featured designer on Bravo Network's new design show, Best Room Wins airing May 2019. Previous episodes mentioned in this show: #420 Amanda Berlin #478 Amber Roy #297 Mikel Welch #338 Orlando Soria #127 Corey Da

Welcome to Power Talk Friday! Brad Clinard, a certified financial planner from High Point, NC, joins us on the show today. Brad, like Peter Lang, the Designer CPA, (episodes #349 and #464) specializes in working with interior designers. He has a very real desire to help the people in our industry, and his approach to finances is different from any other financial planner. He knows that every designer needs to plan for life’s financial challenges, and for their retirement, so he helps them maximize their earnings over their lifetime. He refers to this as intentional planning for abundant living. Be sure to listen in today to find out what Brad does to help designers plan for a life and future that they deserve to have. Brad graduated from UNC Charlotte, Magna Cum Laude, majoring in Economics with a concentration in Psychology. He was the senior team captain of the tennis team and worked closely with the NCAA advocating for student-athletes. Brad has earned the designation CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional. Brad is married to Hope, a pastry chef. They attend Wesley Memorial Church in High Point, and they have a passion for missions and service, most recently supporting Youth with a Mission, Casey Cares Foundation and the Old North State Boy Scouts Board. In his “spare” time, Brad enjoys reading, movies, travel, time outdoors and eating great food. His adventures have included hiking the northern half of the Appalachian Trail and the Laugavegur in Iceland. Tune in now, for more. Show Highlights: Brad helps designers with their personal financial planning. We need to learn to understand how to use our money to empower us to live an abundant life. Brad’s parents were in the traditional wealth management industry and they focused on investing. Brad’s experience of growing up in High Point. Brad explains what financial design is all about. Starting with people’s values, rather than with their financial goals. The Designer’s Dozen are twelve challenges that designers face when working with traditional financial planners. Goals are future-focused and temporary, and values are present-focused and permanent. Understanding your values is the first point in getting to know yourself. Brad spends a lot of his time trying to understand how our psychology affects us. From a professional perspective, there are four types of money scripts that everybody falls into- money avoidance, money worship, money status or money vigilance. It can be very challenging for creative-minded designers to find professionals to give them advice and guidance. There are generally four different communication styles. Bridging the gap between the different styles of communication. Why Brad decided to focus on interior designers. How to know when you need the services of a financial planner. Brad gives you the Ten Keys to Financial Foundation. The plans that Brad will create for you. Follow your bliss and plan for an abundant life. A formula for having a less stressful experience of life. Brad has a three-stage process to help clients going through transitions in their lives. Other shows related to finances to go with this show: Peter Lang #349, #464 Kimberly Merlitti #361, #442 Ashley Micciche #468 Diane Gardner #54 Previous shows mentioned in this episode: Michele Williams # 137, #180, #395, and # 424 Taylor Spellman #106, #390, and #467 Links: Website: High Point Financial Design Quiz to learn your money script: High Point Financial Design

Welcome! We have Monica Wilcox, the principal of M Wilcox Design, joining us today. Monica is a #seasoneddesigner. She's dynamic, entertaining, and she's on the show to share some of her killer inspiration. She talks to us about coming to grips with her "business midlife crisis", her decision to be on TV, diversifying revenue streams, and setting the rules for yourself first, and then for your clients, to ensure your success as an interior design business owner. Monica is often called on for her advice. She is full of energy and her approach to business and life is truly authentic. You're really going to love her, so be sure to listen in, to hear what she has to share! M Wilcox Design is an award-winning design firm with an emphasis on collaboration. Monica's impeccable eye for design and her in-depth knowledge about project management really sets her apart from other design companies. She has very well-established systems, from the initial design phase all the way through to the final install, and every project is executed with precision and exceptional quality. Tune in today, to find out more about Monica and the efficient way that she runs her design firm. Show Highlights: Monica did not start out in business with a foundation for success. She had to teach herself the business side of her business. Some of the core things that designers should be paying attention to when they start a business. Monica started out with a career in the military. There, she learned about determination and discipline. Monica is a believer in staying in her own lane and always hiring people who are good at what they do, to help her get to the top of her game. It's important to hire the top people. Monica explains what she looks for when hiring people. What caused Monica's business mid-life crisis, ten years ago. Finding a new sense of purpose. Transformation is powerful. Figuring out a deeper meaning to what you do. Monica shares her strategies for diversifying revenue streams. Getting on TV happened very easily for Monica. Preparation plus opportunity leads to success. Running with a structured system. There's so much to be learned from events and other designers. Monica explains her fee structure. All about Monica's Design Mecca classes and education. Bio: Interior Designer Monica Wilcox is an expert in delivering unique designs with functionality in mind. Her award-winning design firm creates gorgeous interiors that also offer livable-style with a California twist. With an emphasis on Collaboration, Monica is able to realize the vision of her clients and bring them to life. She has the unique ability to connect with her clients and radiates a tremendous passion for what she does which is contagious to everyone around her. Her impeccable eye for design combined with her in-depth knowledge of project management sets her apart from other interior designers. From initial designs to the final install, each project is executed with precision and exceptional quality. Monica is frequently called upon for advice for everything from interior design to business growth to lifestyle tips. She enjoys the art of living fully and completely and is happy to share that with others. With boundless energy, an honest and direct approach, and an infectious spirit, it’s possible that this creative visionary may someday be in every household in America. Monica Wilcox is the founder of Design Mecca, an online learning center that teaches interior designers how to start a successful business. Along with her colleague Nikki Chu, Monica teaches at the accredited online university which features a course broken up into 36 videos and 12 modules that students can work through at their own pace. Previous shows mentioned in this episode: Tobi Fairley #419, #440 Nancy Ganzekaufer #389 Ann Rue #255 Sara Brennan #463 Janelle Photopoulos #363 Stacey Brown Randall #93 Links: Website: M Wilcox Design Design Mecca Nikki Chut LuAnn Live Sara Lynn Brennan Course LuAnn's Favorite Resources

Welcome to Power Talk Friday! We have Vanessa Shepherd, the owner of She's Got Vision, on the show with us today. Vanessa is all about efficiency. She has won awards, she has been recognized in her community and she knows just how busy most creative business owners are. In today's episode, she talks to us about how hard it is for creative entrepreneurs to find the time to get everything done in their businesses, especially if they have a family to manage as well. She shares strategies for growing your design business through Pinterest and some really helpful tips for managing your time so that you can live a little too. She also explains what you need to do to really stand out from the crowd, so be sure to tune in, to find out more. Vanessa graduated from NAIT with honors for her degree in Business Administration. She is a content marketing professional and she helps business owners to be seen, increase the traffic to their websites, and build lasting relationships. Her specialty is social media marketing, and she loves to use Pinterest as a platform for visibility. Listen in today, to benefit from Vanessa's wisdom and experience. Show Highlights: Vanessa loves to be as efficient as possible. There's a big update coming for Pinterest. Vanessa explains what a pin title is, on Pinterest. Pinterest wants to make titles more purposeful. Later is a great scheduling tool. Pinterest is an important search engine. Some strategies for using Pinterest to drive potential clients to your website. Allowing someone else to help you have the time to do what you do best. Video is big everywhere on social media right now. Pinterest can be used as a good cross-promotion tactic. Some tips to capture people's attention in the first three to fifteen seconds of a video. Good quality photos are a must on social media. The process of pinning. Find content that can educate, inspire, or entertain your audience. Showcasing your work in multiple ways to drive more traffic to your website. Being consistent with your pins is very important. Vanessa has a Pinterest audit that you can download for free on her website. Go to She's Got Vision How Vanessa helps people improve their strategies for social media. Bio: Vanessa Shepherd is a content marketing professional at She's Got Vision, helping business owners to get visible, drive traffic to their websites, and build lasting relationships with their audiences. Vanessa specializes in social media marketing, and her favorite platform for visibility is Pinterest! She graduated with honors from NAIT with a degree in Business Administration and from the University of Alberta with a master's in Communications and Technology. When she's not creating strategies, running ads or pinning her heart out, you can find Vanessa traveling and gardening with her husband and their two Airedale Terriers. Previous shows mentioned in this episode: Amber De La Garza #385 Summer Tannhauser #292 Allison Fannin #223 Kate Ahl # 331 Links: Website: primary: She's Got Vision Blog course microsite: learn.shesgotvision.com Blog: She's Got Vision Blog LuAnn Live Article: welldesigned.article.com Kirsch: kirsch.com Instagram: She's Got Vision Facebook: She's Got Vision Pinterest: She's Got Vision Free Pinterest audit checklist: She's Got Vision

Welcome! Today, we have Christina Bruce, the principal of Christina Bruce Interiors in Vero Beach, Florida, with us on the show. Christina was one of the VIP attendees at the LuAnn Live, It's About the Conversation event, earlier this year. LuAnn asked each VIP to let her know, in the months following the event, what they have done and achieved based on what they learned, and the people they met there. So, Christina messaged LuAnn recently, with a long list of the positive things she identified in herself and her business, from the event. In today's episode, she shares the serious questions she had been asking herself about her business, before attending LuAnn Live. She then goes on to describe the things she put into action and the remarkable 180 degrees turn around that she created in her business, as a result of attending the event. Listen in, to hear about the incredible way that Christine transformed her business. Christina started her company in Savannah, in 2009. She then completed several residential and commercial projects in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. Christina received an award for excellence for the work she did on a medical center from the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce during this time, and she was also invited to be a guest designer on ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The love of her hometown, Vero Beach, drew her back there in 2012. Christina has had the opportunity to further her experience and influence by working with some of the most established communities in Vero Beach, and by helping to complete residential and commercial projects in Texas, New York, and internationally. Tune in today, to learn about the lessons that Christina has learned and the actions she's taken to transform her business. Show highlights: Christina explains why she decided to go to the LuAnn Live event. Attending LuAnn live pulled Christina out of the negative head-space that she had been in before attending the event. LuAnn Live was like a designer's support group for Christine. Christina talks about the significant conversation she had with Taylor Spellman. Learning to look at her motivation, rather than her goals. Parenting always takes priority. Cat and Christine keep on learning together. Some of the actions that Christine has taken. Christine's experience is in high-end residential design. Becoming successful within the demographics of where you live. What Christine learned from Dala al Fuwaires. There will always be times when the things we do don't work. You have to risk failure to succeed. There are some things you should never fake. Christina describes the Christina Bruce Collection, for David Francis Furniture. Talking about partnerships. Podcast green is a wonderful color! Bio: Christina Bruce graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). The Interior Design program at SCAD has been consistently ranked as the number one program in the nation. It is here that Christina not only formed a strong foundation of design principles, but also a true passion for interior design. She formed her own company in Savannah in 2009 and completed several residential and commercial projects in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. During this time, she received an award for excellence for her work on a medical center from the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce. She was also invited to be a guest designer on ABC’s Extreme Make-Over: Home Edition where she helped complete the design of the dining room and master bedroom of the home being featured. Savannah’s charm enriched her experience, but the love of her hometown of Vero Beach drew her family home in 2012. In her time in Vero Beach, she has worked with some of the finest architects and builders which has helped to shape her corporate philosophy and relationship with clients. She has had the opportunity to further her experience and influence by not only working with some of the most established communities in Vero Beach but also helping to complete residential and commercial projects in Texas and New York, as well as internationally. She looks forward to many years of successful relationships and projects with the clients and communities with which she is fortunate to work. Previous shows mentioned in this episode: Vanessa DeLeon # 18 Dala al Fuwaires # 392 Taylor Spellman #467, 106 Shauna Lynn Simon #76, 84, 102 Cat French #376 Nancy Ganzekaufer- Niche is Rich #15 Nicole Heymer #125, 317, 466 Kae Whitaker #114, 259, 274 Michele Williams #180, 395 Carolyn Flannery #453 Links: LuAnn Live LuAnn Nigara Book Power Talk Friday Link to IG post announcing color collection PodGreen named for me David Francis Furniture Clem Schaub Architect Vero Beach Florida Christina Bruce Interiors

Welcome to Power Talk Friday! Claire Jefford joins us on the show once again today! Claire is an interior decorator, business coach, leader of the designer Facebook group Interior Design Business Strategies, a vlogger, and author of a chapter called Managing Client Expectations in LuAnn's second book, A Well-Designed Business, The Power talk Friday Experts, Volume 1. In today's episode, Claire takes us through her initial process. She shares her wealth of information about the best practices for handling all aspects of consultations with clients. Listen in today to learn how to set the tone for success right from the outset. Claire started her award-winning decorating firm in 2011, and in 2017, she started a second business as a business coach. She is passionate about having organized processes, marketing, and creating videos. She was voted #3 Top Influencer in 2018, and she runs an active Facebook group called Interior Design Business Strategies, with more than 3000 design professionals from around the world. Tune in now for more! Show highlights: Being upfront about the way that you work. Managing your clients' expectations, educating your clients, and communicating effectively. Claire talks about her templated email system. Setting the tone right from the start. Claire always asks for payment upfront for consultations. Keeping clear logs of everything. 3-D design is the way to go! Claire talks about what she brings with her to consultations. Helping people as much as possible in two hours. Clients like structure. You have to let your clients know what you do. Little things can go a long way. Confidence is key! Claire has some fabulous packages available. Claire explains what WidWil is all about. Previous episodes mentioned in the show: Maria Killam #58 Fred Berns #174 John and Theresa Dorlini (Circle Design Studio) #380 Claire was previously in episodes #237 and #325 Links: Website - https://clairejefford.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clairejefforddesigns/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/interiordesignbusinessstrategies/ Blog post Claire mentioned in the show: https://clairejefford.com/3d-renderings-for-interior-designers/ The Initial Phone Call: 5 Must-Ask Questions - https://clairejefford.com/initial-phone-call/ Kirsch: kirsch.com Article: welldesigned.article.com LuAnn Live: luannlive.com LuAnn's Favorite Resources: luannnigara.com/resources

Welcome! Today, we have Laurence Carr, the CEO of Laurence Carr Design, with us on the show. Although Laurence opened her design firm just a short eighteen months ago, she is already running it with the clarity of a seasoned CEO. She has a very well-structured business plan and her goals are right in front of her. In today's episode, she explains how she managed to get her business up and running so quickly and she also shares with us her well-thought-out business plan. Laurence is truly an impressive businesswoman so be sure to listen in today, to learn about the clear and intentional way she runs her business. Laurence is helping to shape our cultural dialogue through her work, her speaking engagements, and her blog, "Beyond Aesthetics". Her focus is on combining sustainability with quality, and she is a GREEN Leaders Accredited Professional, and a Member of the Sustainable Furnishing Council. She is is a leading voice in the field of Holistic Interior Design and she's been featured in Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, Business of Home, Domino, Apartment Therapy, Sotheby’s Home, House Tipster and Style Matters. Laurence won the BUILD awards from Homes and Gardens UK in 2019, and she was nominated for the ASID National Awards 2019 for “Design for Humanity”. In March of this year, she was invited to be one of the 30 speakers of the Circular City Week in New York. And this summer, Laurence Carr Design successfully unveiled "The Restorative Room", in Southampton New York, for the Hampton Designers Showhouse 2019. Tune in now, for more! Show Highlights: Laurence talks about the advisory board that she recruited to help with business strategy. It helps to get advice from people outside of your industry. Everything that Laurence does is done with clear intention. Laurence wanted to build a business with multiple revenue streams. Thinking about the impact of stress on people's lives. Considering not only how things look, but also how they feel, when making choices. Working with Leslie and Sam, of Savour Partnership. About the immense value that Laurence found in creating her e-boutique. How Laurence grew her email list. Working with freelance designers. Laurence talks about her interview process. The systems and processes she uses in making selections for her e-boutique. Earning money on the side, from affiliate marketing. It all comes down to the systems you use. It's very important to keep your goals in front of you. Bio: Born in France and now living in NYC, Laurence Carr has an inherent appreciation for art and design—she is a natural aesthete. Before launching her interior design practice, Laurence was a professional ballet dancer, singer, stage director, and fashion event manager. Today, she is recognized for her application of wellbeing principles and ancient techniques in high-end residential interior design. Laurence believes luxury interiors don’t have to be sterile and soulless. Instead, her projects encourage mindful living and create harmony, whilst attaining a level of sophistication that develops from layering modern art, furniture, antiques, and accents. Having lived, worked and traveled in Europe, Asia, Australia, and the US, Laurence’s design aesthetic is influenced by her love of different cultures and deep appreciation of art. She brings an international approach to each project—whether its sifting through antique galleries in Paris or sourcing hand-woven rugs from the villages in Nepal, Laurence’s knowledge and network allows her to find and assemble unique items for you. Previous shows mentioned in this episode: Nicole Heymer #466, #317, #125 Andrew Joseph #39 Dennis Scully #459 Savour Partnership #209 and #458 Links: Website: Laurence Carr Facebook: Laurence Carr Design Instagram: Laurence Carr Design YouTube: Laurence Carr

Welcome to Power Talk Friday! We are delighted to introduce you to Wendy Cohen today. Wendy is the founder and CEO of a suite of Powerhouse Companies comprising of PowerHouse Advisors, a consulting firm, PowerHouse SMART, a luxury industry education and networking leadership community, and PowerHouse Recruiting, which is a division of the consultancy, PowerHouse Advisors. This expert group of companies is committed to serving the best people in the luxury industry by teaching and speaking to them about luxury, and educating them about new luxury technologies. Wendy herself is a powerhouse lady, and in today's episode, she talks to us about building a company culture, creating a complete customer experience, and what it takes to get ahead in business. She also discusses the Luxury Home Conference that is coming up in Chicago, in February, where she has invited LuAnn to be the keynote speaker. Listen in today, to find out what this dynamic and special lady has to share! The family of PowerHouse Companies was formed in 2006. It is recognized most for successfully guiding hundreds of luxury industry brands and firms in the fields of design, build, and development, across the US and in Canada. PowerHouse SMART was also formed in 2006. It was intended to power-up the very best leaders in the luxury market by creating a platform for elite relationship building, to lead to business collaborations, new business development, referrals, knowledge sharing, and cutting-edge education. Then, in 2015, PowerHouse Recruiting was created as a division of PowerHouse Advisors, to continue with the exceptional recruiting and placement guidance that was established under the consultancy umbrella. Tune in today, to learn what it takes to win in the arena of luxury design, build. Show Highlights: Wendy started her career as a realtor. Wendy was part of a four-person team in a building company that grew the company from having ten employees to eventually having 120 people working there. Creating a culture in her company. Great success for builders doesn't come overnight but it is possible. Growing the design, build concept. Teaching her sales team about the complete experience was the thing differentiated from any other builder that a consumer might be going to, in 1989. You don't brand yourself. Your audience brands you. Treating sub-contractors, tradespeople, and suppliers with respect, as if they are part of your company. In 1995-1996, Professional Builder Magazine named Wendy's company one of the best eight companies to work for in the nation. Being selected by Custom Builder Magazine as Custom Builder of the Year. The satisfying way that Wendy's vision for the company became contagious. Consulting with other companies to teach and advise them about systems, processes, and how to replicate Wendy's success. For ten or eleven years, Wendy's main focus was on business development. Consulting about recruiting, and helping everybody grow, is where Wendy finds herself today. Wendy views the placements that she makes within other companies as a reflection of her reputation. Wendy talks about PowerHouse Smart. This is how she gives back to her community. Wendy is all about sharing and giving. Every month, PowerHouse Smarts had one big event, called the Builder Architect Hard-Hat Tour. PowerHouse Smart is always looking to grow like-minded individuals. This is why they host a Luxury Conference every year. The next PowerHouse Smart Luxury Home Conference is being held on February 5th, 2020, in Chicago. LuAnn has been invited to be the keynote speaker. Wendy explains what will be happening at the upcoming Luxury Home conference. Bio: Wendy Cohen CEO PowerHouse Companies PowerHouse Advisors, LLC PowerHouse SMART® PowerHouse Recruiting, LLC Wendy Cohen is the CEO and Founder of the PowerHouse Group of Companies comprised of PowerHouse Advisors™, a consulting firm, PowerHouse SMART®, a luxury industry education & networking leadership community and PowerHouse Recruiting, a division of the consultancy PowerHouse Advisors™ LLC. The family of PowerHouse Companies was formed in 2006 where it is most notably recognized for successfully guiding hundreds of luxury industry brands and firms in the design, build and development arena across the nation and in Canada. PowerHouse Advisors’ profound impact is working with owners and senior managers in refining business development efforts, implementing process improvement platforms, developing operating systems and procedures, properly managing and executing manpower and creating strategic growth plans. PowerHouse SMART® also formed in 2006 was intended to power-up the best of the best leaders in the luxury market by creating a platform for elite relationship building leading to business collaborations, new business development, referrals (give and get), knowledge sharing and cutting-edge education. From the onset, the goal was to bring all the talents needed to create an ultimate luxury project and

Welcome! Today we have Cheryl Clendenon, the CEO of the Florida-based design firm, In Detail Interiors, with us on the show. Cheryl is one of our industry’s boldest, smartest, and funniest ladies, and she’s always willing to generously share her business expertise and advice with those who would like to learn from her. In today’s episode, she offers some very valuable advice about crafting conversations and steering them to where you want them to go. Be sure to listen in today, to find out what she has to share. Cheryl is a master of sales. She's a truly outstanding professional who has been in business for more than 19 years. She operates a full-service design firm, a retail location, and a business Facebook group and she understands she has to make her money intentionally, rather than with luck or by accident. Tune in today, to get some priceless tips from Cheryl. Show Highlights: The copy on Cheryl’s website is awesome! You need to know your audience. Carefully considering what your website says about you. Learning to guide your clients down your path. There are many people are too timid to reveal their personalities on their website. This is very limiting. Cheryl has an incredible Facebook group, called Small Business Think Big. How to best position your design firm. It all starts with the way you present yourself on your website. Learning to not be afraid to talk about money. Projecting your income. People tend to be a little resistant to the idea of minimum expenditure at first. The nuances of how to get what you want. Sales is a win-win game. Positioning yourself in the very best way possible. Giving added value is a formula for success. Cheryl explains what her training focuses on. Cheryl looks at how much money she’s going to make on every job she does. For Cheryl, the words have to be right. Cheryl helps you think big about your small business. Cheryl’s fees are based on a combination of design fees + a contracted minimum expenditure on products Previous shows mentioned in this episode: Chris Ramey #345 Links: LuAnn Nigara Resources Vita’s course link: Profit With Window Treatments Sara’s course link: Process Leads to Profits My Doma Studio: A Well Designed Business Well Designed Article In Detail Interiors Cheryl’s FB Group: Small Business Think Big Cheryl's Instagram: In Detail Interiors Cheryl's Pinterest: In Detail Interiors LuAnn’s FB Group

Welcome to Window Treatment Friday! Today’s show is brought to you by Kirsch.com, our newest sponsor. Last week, we learned from Matt Johnson, the National Sales Manager, and Sarah Frost, the Brand Manager, for Kirsch Drapery Hardware, how the Kirsch team is on a mission to breathe new life into their company, which is more than a hundred years old. And today, we have some big news! If you would like to learn more about window treatments so that you can incorporate them into your business as an added revenue stream, Vita and LuAnn have the answer for you! Vita will be teaching an eight-week course, called Window Treatments and Profits for Designers, starting in January. Listen in, to find out more. Vita and LuAnn know just how profitable window treatments are. They want to share their knowledge and experience with you so that you can also develop the skills and confidence you need to make a profit from window treatments. The Window Treatments and Profits for Designers course will meet via Zoom so this means that you can be anywhere in the world to do it. You either can join Vita live, in real-time, or you can watch the replay at your convenience, and still get all the magic. The course will be run in conjunction with a private Facebook group, for support and extra time to answer questions. We will be opening the course in the next week or two, so go to Luann Nigara Profit With Window Treatments or Profit With Window Treatments, and leave us your email address so that you can be first in line when the registration opens. In today’s episode, we will be talking about the different types and categories of window treatments. There’s a myriad of different custom window treatments available out there, so Vita’s way of simplifying things is to break everything down into two main categories- hard and soft window treatments. Vita and LuAnn will then give us an overview of the different types of window treatments in each category, listing and explaining the various types of treatments and the pros and cons of each one. Be sure to tune in today, to hear what they have to share. Show Highlights: Vita gives her personal take on hard window treatments overall, as a category. Generally, hard treatments consist of blinds, shades, and shutters. The main purpose of hard treatments is functionality, which is usually light control, privacy, or glare control. Vita explains what soft treatments are. Although soft treatments are generally there to add to the aesthetic value of a room, they can still be functional. The pros and cons of blinds. The rebirth of roller shades. Comfortex will supply cellular shades in any color. Talking about shutters. Woven wood shades are very popular with designers. The different types of soft treatments in the category. LuAnn explains what she likes about drapery panels. Roman shades are very versatile. Some useful resources for you. Previous shows mentioned in this episode: Kirsch #479 Links: LuAnn Nigara Vitalia Inc Kirsch Kravet Inc My Doma Studio: A Well Designed Business Exciting Windows WCAA Window Fashion IWCE Vision Window Works To sign up for the Window Treatments and Profits for Designers course, go to Profit With Window Treatments or Profit With Window Treatments For a free PDF download of this episode, go to LuAnn Nigara.

Welcome! Today, Julia Marcum, half of the dynamic duo of Chris Loves Julia, joins us on the show. Julia started blogging more ten years ago, and her readership has grown to include millions of people. In 2016, Chris left his day job to join Julia as a blogger on a full-time basis. With their blog, this remarkable couple shares their original, authentic, and sincere perspective on the daily coups and challenges of their DIY home renovations. People follow them to learn how to improve their space and to get inspiration, tips on trends, and motivation to get things done. In today’s episode, Julia explains that they know exactly why they’re doing what they do, and they know who they do it for. This particular component is vital to your success as a business owner, so be sure to listen in today, to hear what Julia has to share. Chris and Julia are a fresh, honest, and creative DIY duo, blogging about the daily feats and failures of renovation. They offer their loyal readers a mix of large-scale renovations, quick DIY projects, budget-friendly ways to revamp their spaces, and items to splurge on, as well as a few personal stories to remind their readers that they’re real people, too. They were named as one of Better Homes & Gardens’ Top 10 DIY bloggers. Tune in today, for more. Show Highlights: Julia explains how she and Chris came to realize that they should combine their talents and work on the blog together, on a full-time basis. Creating the right kind of content to post on Instagram. Knowing what you want to be known for. What you’ll find on their blog, and what you’ll find in their Instagram stories. There are zero downsides to growing your Instagram presence. Creating consistent, quality content based around your niche. Consistency and quality content is key to getting lots of Instagram followers. Julia doesn’t have a photography background and yet she took all her own photos until three months ago. Figuring out photography. Educating your photographer about what you want. Being intentional about the look that you’re creating in your photos. Julia explains why people are following her. The difference between just posting a picture, and creating content. Choosing where to best utilize your energy. The best way to connect with your Instagram Stories audience. Julia talks about the two courses she teaches, Working With Brands and Growing Your Influence. Links: Website: Chris Loves Julia Instagram: Chris Loves Julia Propertee: Chris Loves Julia Facebook: Chris Loves Julia Pinterest: Chris Loves Julia Youtube: Chris Loves Julia Good Influencer Good Influencer on Instagram Link Previous Shows Mentioned: Shea McGee #236, #270 Amber Lewis #169, #184 Nicole Heymer #125, #466 Jamie Lieberman #454 Fred Berns #22, #174 People who inspire Julia: Jessica Helgerson Interior Design Instagram: Josh young Design House Don’t forget when you place your next order on any Kravet fabric, wallpaper, or trim, to use the code AWDB10 at checkout, to get 10% off any one purchase. Go to Kravet to place your order.

Welcome to another episode of Window Treatment Friday! Today, we're introducing you to Kirsch, our newest sponsor for A Well-Designed Business. Kirsch has been an industry leader in drapery hardware for more than one hundred years, and they also have a custom window coverings program. For today's episode, we have Matt Johnson and Sarah Frost with us to talk to us about the latest innovations that Kirsch is bringing to the design and window treatment community, so tune in, to find out more! Kirsch was started in 1907 when Charles Kirsch invented the first curtain rod and telescoping rod. His goal was to connect with people around his fantastic products. Soon after inventing his innovative curtain rods, Charles published his first style book, to guide purchasers of drapery hanging specialties. The first Kirsch patented lace curtain rod was created in 1923, and then Charles designed the deluxe cut-to-measure drapery, which was one of the most important developments in drapery hardware history. For the next fifty years, the Kirsch brand continued to incorporate many more innovative advancements that would change our industry forever. Matt Johnson is the National Sales Manager of Kirsch Drapery Hardware. He leads a team of experienced sales professionals representing over 100 years of the Kirsch brand. Over his 22 years in the window coverings industry, Matt has sales experience in multiple channels of business including National Retailers, Independent Retailers, Builders, Contract and Commercial Accounts and Distributors. His rich background and understanding of the window coverings industry have allowed him to apply his passion for working with business owners and designers to develop sales and marketing strategies to improve sales and service. Sarah Frost is the Brand Manager for Kirsch Drapery Hardware. She oversees a talented team that creates conceptual designs and implementation of the marketing initiatives for the drapery hardware launches and projects. Sarah has experience in hard window coverings as well as drapery hardware from her previous positions as a product manager and in sales. Listen in today to find out what Matt and Sarah have to share about our newest sponsor, the Kirsch brand. Show Highlights: Matt gives us a synopsis of Kirsch, and it's long and rich history in the window coverings industry Sarah has lots of fresh, new ideas for the Kirsch brand. Breathing new life into the brand through engaging with the trade. There are currently so many new and improved drapery hardware options available. Kirsch provides great resources to educate the design community about their complicated product. Sarah discusses how she and her team are revising and revamping the way their products are produced and presented. It all starts with the numbers. Keeping abreast of the latest trends. Creating a digital price list has made all the difference. The new styles and colors that Kirsch is coming out with are very different from what people are used to seeing in their Buckingham collection. The texture of natural wood products is really beautiful. The craftsmanship of their new finishes is really impressive. Matt explains the features of their new and improved motorized drapery tracks. Sarah discusses all the aspects of the business that have been redone. Their brochures have been redone for the designer to the client. What the resource library is all about. You will be able to see Kirsch's new products at the IWCE Expo in Charlotte in March 2020. Links: Website: Kirsch Instagram: Kirsch Twitter: Kirsch Facebook: Kirsch

Welcome to the show! Today, Amber Roy, the principal of the recently launched design firm, Amber Dawn Interiors joins us. Amber's approach to design is to find a balance between old and new, and between trends and timelessness. Her goal is to get to know her clients and understand what makes their hearts sing so that she can turn their homes into a reflection of who they truly are. In today's episode, Amber shares an 'aha' moment she experienced while listening to LuAnn being interviewed on Amber de la Garza's podcast, The Productivity Specialist. She talks to us about her first design project and the ingenious way she launched herself as an interior designer at the end of it. She also shares the intentional things she did just before, and in the weeks immediately after opening her business, to make herself known to potential clients, build relationships both within and outside of the design industry, and get her new business off the ground. Listen in today, to find out about Amber and how she got her successful new business up and running. Amber, who is also a realtor, has been passionate about interior design since she was a very young girl. As she grew, her interest in interior design also continued to grow and she eventually realized that she needed to put her passion to work. And so Amber Dawn Interiors was born. Amber has always been drawn to all things old, including houses and architecture. She feels that bringing in old pieces gives a place soul, and that warmth and balance are created by mixing old with new, so she loves to use heirloom pieces and incorporate antique and salvaged building materials. It is very important to Amber to create carefully and thoughtfully curated spaces, and she will go the extra mile to find the finishes and pieces that will give her clients the unique look that they really want. Be sure to tune in today, to find out more! Show Highlights: Amber explains what it was that moved her to email LuAnn. Amber talks about her first project, to showcase her abilities as a designer. Reaching out to potential collaborators, including Ethan Allen and Coastal Furniture. Staging an open house in collaboration with a realtor. The great benefits of collaboration. Realtor's are good to partner with because they are an influential group of people. Networking is Amber's current strategy for building relationships. What it takes to create a successful relationship-building event. Discovering her mission and values. An awesome opportunity that has come Amber's way. You need to put yourself out there to become known. Bio: My passion for interior design began when I was a very young girl. I remember drawing floorplans for my "dream house" on the lined pages of my spiral-bound notebook. I remember staring out the window of the school bus, scoping out the houses that were down and out, imagining how beautiful they'd be if I could just fix them up. My interest grew as I did, and through the years I began to realize that I needed to put my passion to work. So, it is with immense pleasure and gratitude that I present Amber Dawn Interiors. My approach to design is to find a balance between old and new, between trends and timelessness. It is so important to me to create a space that is carefully and thoughtfully curated- going the extra mile to find the finishes and pieces that will give you the look you want, but that won't be the same as your neighbor. My goal is to really get to know my clients: their lifestyle, their likes, and dislikes, the way they use their space, the things that make them happy, what makes their souls sing! I want your home to be a reflection of you. I want you to turn every corner and see something that makes you smile. I love to use heirloom pieces and incorporate antique and salvaged building materials. Having always been drawn to all things old, including houses and architecture, I feel that bringing in old pieces gives a space soul, and mixing old with new creates balance and warmth. When I'm not designing spaces, you will find me with my two boys, Turner and Pierson, their Dad, my husband Tim, and my other family and friends. I may be singing some karaoke. I may be gardening. I may be traveling. I may be enjoying the sunshine or a glass of wine. Probably both. I may very well be admiring an old truck or a historic building. If you see me, say hello :) Previous episodes mentioned in this show: Amber De La Garza #385 and #436 Stephen Karlisch #369 Dala Al-Fuwaires #392 Nancy Ganzekaupher #15, #159, #256, #377, and #389 Carolyn Flannery #453 Jana Platina Phipps (The Trim Queen) #293 Darla Powell (Wingnut Social Media) #203 Rebecca Richardson #330 Links: Website: Amber Dawn Interior Instagram: @amber.dawn.interiors Facebook: Amber Dawn Interiors

Welcome to Power Talk Friday! We have Laurel Palmer with us today. Laurel is the New England Sales Territory Manager for Comfortex, one of the premier sponsors for the LuAnn Live event last March. Laurel is a pro when it comes to the art of selling. She has many years of experience, having worked for furniture manufacturers, commercial office furniture dealerships, building materials suppliers, and ultimately, a window treatment company, where she first sold window treatments to retail consumers before landing on the wholesale side of the trade. Laurel grew up in Northern California and now resides happily in the Greater Boston area. She is committed to helping her window treatment dealers make more money, so tune in today, to hear what she has to say. Comfortex was founded in 1986 and soon became known as a provider of innovative cellular shades. The company grew, and their product offering expanded to include roller shades, sheer shades, wood, and faux wood blinds, as well as cellular shades in every shape and configuration. Then, in 2000, Comfortex was acquired by Hunter Douglas. Comfortex is known for constantly innovating and improving. An example of their innovation is Color Lux, which marries an unlimited color choice with green production processes and game-changing materials. Comfortex blinds and shades have won more than 100 Window Covering Manufacturing Association awards and they are distributed currently in more than 50 countries. Most of their products are manufactured in upstate New York. Listen in today, to find out more. Show Highlights: Laurel talks about the incredible amount of color choices that are available with Comfortex's Color Lux. How Color Lux came about. You can now get solar screens in any of Color Lux's 800 colors! As a designer, using Color Lux will give you the freedom to confidently offer your clients the exact color of their choice or to match any color that they already have. Beautiful relationships are formed between interior designers and many of the window treatment dealers that Laurel works with. The benefits of working with a window treatment pro. Window treatments are a viable way for designers to add a terrific layer of profitability to their revenue stream. The importance of creating partnerships. Laurel has a unique approach to being a representative of Comfortex. Laurel shares her sales philosophy and her sales process. If you ask the right questions and listen carefully people will tell you exactly what they need. People don't always buy what you think they're going to buy, so you owe it to your customers to show them all of the available options. LuAnn shares some pointers from the seven-step sales-course that she teaches. Confidence is a key component to your success. Why it's important to sell value, not price. LuAnn explains what makes a good salesperson. An expert is someone who has made every mistake in their field. Previous shows mentioned in this episode: WTF episode numbers #462 and #471 Links: Comfortex Window Fashions IWCE Vision To get in touch with Comfortex, send an email to [email protected] and put LuAnn Nigara in the subject line. Link to RSVP for November 5th at Exclusive Flooring Concepts Or Luann Nigara: Live Event

Welcome to the show! Today, we're featuring #risingdesigner Amanda Hamilton. Amanda's bold and unorthodox approach to design and business has made her one of the most sought-after designers in Western Canada. She is driven, focused, and has truly achieved a lot during her fifteen years of experience in the design industry. LuAnn is certain that the secret sauce to Amanda's success is that she is a first businesswoman and then an interior designer. In today's episode, Amanda talks to us about what goes into running a medium-sized business and creating extra revenue streams. Be sure to listen in to find out what she has to share. Amanda has her Bachelor’s degree in Applied Interior Design from Mount Royal University, she's earned her status as a Licensed Interior Designer through the National Council for Design Qualifications, and she is a Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design Accredited Professional. Amanda is dedicated to the career development of young women, so she mentors through the Harry G. Schaefer Mentorship Program. She has also mentored for the Women in Leadership and the National Council of Interior Design Education, and she is the current chair for the World of Choices committee for Junior Achievement of Southern Alberta, which focuses on career mentoring for young women. Amanda was the recipient of the 2012 Mount Royal University Horizon Award, which recognizes the outstanding achievements of alumni early in their careers. In 2016, Amanda launched a Travel Scholarship through her alma mater to promote design exploration. She was named as one of the 20 Most Compelling Calgarians by the Calgary Herald for 2018, n 2017, she was awarded the Top 40 under 40 by the Calgary Edition of Avenue Magazine and she received the Silver Stevie Award for Female Entrepreneur of Canada. And to top it all, her design studio was awarded Best in Calgary in the Interior Design category and received the Ones to Watch award by Western Living Magazine. Tune in, to find out more! Show Highlights: Amanda talks to us about the time when she decided to build her firm up and take on employees. Amanda started her business in the middle of the recession. She has doubled her numbers since that year. Some of the lessons Amanda has learned about hiring. Developing awareness around the energetic effect you're having on others. Stress doesn't go away. You learn to deal with it. The challenge of creating an ideal team. Finding the right person for the right position. What Palette Archives is all about. The logistics behind Palette Archives. The goal of Palette Archives is to be like Amazon Prime. Tapping into a growing market. Pricing Palette Archives to make it accessible to even more people. Amanda explains how much went into the development of Palette Archives. Links: Amanda’s website Instagram Facebook Twitter Email Palette Archives Article Trade Program

Welcome to Power Talk Friday! We are delighted to introduce you to Desi Creswell today. Desi and LuAnn speak a lot of the same language! They both know that it takes more than just talent for you to be in a position to share your gift with the world because, as a designer, you need your business to be profitable. This could mean having to improve your systems, processes, or even your education to inspire you and enhance your natural aptitude. Also, the way we think often prevents us from sharing our superpowers because of our mindset problems and limiting beliefs get in the way. So we are very happy to be talking to Desi today because she is skilled and able to deal with many of these issues with the coaching she does. In today's episode, she talks about how to create more time in your day by learning to identify the emotions you are trying to avoid. She explains how to eliminate feelings of being overwhelmed, clarifies how to take action, and she discusses emotions and how they hold us back. Desi also shares a fantastic exercise to help you create more time. Be sure to tune in to learn how to use this valuable tool. Desi is a certified life and business coach who specializes in interior designers. She teaches her clients to become more profitable, productive, and confident while reducing the stress and overwhelming feelings that often comes with running your own business. Before turning thirty, Desi has already built two successful companies. She offers a unique blend of entrepreneurial expertise and effective mindset teachings. Desi is also an award-winning interior designer and her work has been featured both in print and online publications. She has been a guest presenter and panelist at events such as Midwest Home Design Week. Listen in today, to find out more. Show Highlights: You can start creating more time by using a coaching tool called 'The Model' to become aware of your thinking and your feelings. Desi explains why it is important to understand what neutral facts are. Indulgent emotions; although they can sometimes feel justified or even productive, tend to keep people stuck because they don't produce any results. You can create efficiency by simply changing the way you think. Setting a schedule that creates results and saves time. Desi describes how to create thoughts and feelings that will serve you. How a coach can help you to create new thoughts and beliefs. Desi discusses the way she works with her clients. Buffering is one of the ways that we tend to waste a lot of time. Desi explains what it is, how we use it to distract ourselves, and how we can overcome the urge to use it. Creating intentional models that serve you. Take a moment to think about the emotions that you usually try to avoid during the day. Learning to move out of the emotion and to see and accept the neutral facts. Desi shares an exercise to help you to marry your mindset with a strategy. (Start, Stop, Keep.) Start, stop, keep will give you some perspective for looking at what you want to start doing, in terms of planning for future projects. Desi has a free guide on her website that will be helpful for you to take this work a little further and implement it in your life. You can schedule a free mini-session with Desi. Go to her website to take advantage of this offer. Links: Instagram: Desi Creswell Website: Desi Creswell Link to download the free guide: Time And Profit Previous show mentioned in this episode: Amber De La Garza: #385 -Buffering: The activities you do when avoid doing what you know you should be doing. (hand up) I learned that my constant checking of emails is my buffering technique.